Josh: For the first time in my life I’ve stopped thinking of myself as a child imitating an adult.

Cornelia: You feel that way too?

NYC-based documentary filmmaker, Josh Srebnick (Ben Stiller), is 44 y.o. and married (for many yrs.) to 43 y.o. Cornelia (Naomi Watts). She produces films for her father, Leslie Breitbart (Charles Grodin), a respected/successful veteran documentarian. Josh and Cornelia’s relationship has been boring lately; they don’t travel or do anything out of their routine. On the personal front, they may still want to have a baby, like their BFFs Marina (Maria Dizzia) and Fletcher (Adam Horovitz- also a member of Beastie Boys). On the professional front, Josh seems to have lost inspo (working on one film for 8 yrs, but nowhere near completion). Thing change when they meet a creative/hipster couple in their mid-20s- Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). Jamie expresses great admiration for Josh; he aspires to become a documentary filmmaker himself. Darby makes ice cream in unique flavors.

Cornelia (to Marina and Fletcher): It’s like their apartment is full of everything we once threw out, but it looks so good the way they have it.

Greta Gerwig (the partner of director Noah Baumbach) was cast, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts; Seyfried replaced her. When Josh leaves his father-in-law Leslie’s apartment, a sign is visible next door for the National Arts Club. Leslie lives on Gramercy Park, one of the most prestigious ‘hoods in NYC; the homes face Manhattan’s only private/gated park (only residents have the keys). The Lincoln Center tribute to Leslie Breitbart was filmed at the Time Warner Center/Shops at Columbus Circle bldg; I went to grad school nearby and was often there (it had a Whole Foods, offices, retail). The speaker who presents Leslie with his award is Peter Bogdanovich, a film historian/director.

Josh: It’s weird, you know, I’m at that age where the things you think are only going to happen when you get older are actually happening.

Jamie: If I’m going to be totally honest with myself, I don’t think I’m ever going to die. I know that’s crazy.

Josh: It’s crazy.

Jamie: I think I’m pathologically happy.

If you’re a fan of Driver, you’ll really enjoy this film (free on Amazon Prime)! Jamie is energetic, warm-hearted, and wears some interesting outfits (incl. hats). This is the time when the actor grew his thick/dark hair longer (to cover his large ears). Those big/elaborate tattoos on the arms are fake. He moves in a quirky manner; Baumbach had the “idea of Jamie being like water.” Jamie and Josh have a touching bromance; Josh even starts to dress differently. I liked the set design; the places you see all looked lived-in. The younger couple have many albums (not CDs), videos (not DVDs), a typewriter, a rooster (in a small cage), kittens, and a roomie (renting the loft space). There is a (LOL) scene where Josh and Cornelia practice hip hop dancing at home; Darby had taken Cornelia to such a class. I don’t want to give more away, so check it out if interested!

“While We’re Young” takes a turn in the third act as it grapples with some ethical dilemmas, and it doesn’t quite work. It becomes angrier and heavier as Josh uses his inquisitive nature to unearth some dark truths—both about himself and his new friends. It feels like a totally different movie as it reaches its very public climax, and an inferior one. -Christy Lemire, film critic

[1] I love the sharp jabs launched at Josh’s expense. That may annoy some people who are uncomfortable with the awkward truths being poked at. All four leads are doing amazing work. Adam Driver is the big difference. Noah Baumbach is at his sharpest up to this date.

[2] The film spends the first hour weaving a tale and presenting us with flawed but likeable characters. Then of course the “twist” comes in at about an hour (typical for all films). At this point the film which had me hooked, loses me. It was a twist I felt coming…

[3] A lot of the jokes and digs at the hipster culture may be deserved for simple pretentious ways…

…by the last act Josh becomes so one-note in his obsession over uncovering the BS of Jamie that it gets to be a bit much.

Luckily… much of the movie is funny. Stiller is quite funny, in some instances when he becomes the foil for Driver, and the latter actor has a weird kind of charm and energy, filling in this hipster’s shoes a 100%. He doesn’t look like he should be a really good comic actor, but he carries a lot of odd, quirky interest…

-Excerpts from IMDB reviews