While We’re Young

A 40-something documentary filmmaker (Ben Stiller) and his wife (Naomi Watts) meet a younger couple (Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried) who remind them of who they used to be before their lives stalled out in aimless indecision. They enthusiastically indulge a vicarious return to their 20s—until the husband begins to suspect he's being subtly hustled. Writer-director Noah Baumbach deploys his trademark perception and wry humor with the same acuity and economy he brought to Frances Ha and The Squid and the Whale, and the result is another bull's-eye—a warmly incisive comedy of urban manners and foibles, sharply observant yet wise and compassionate, satirical yet oddly sweet. Charles Grodin adds a rueful touch as Stiller's father-in-law, former mentor and focus for his resentment and frustration. J.L.