Amy Adams’ career in recent years has seen a terrific rise, and it’s been great to see her gaining more and more recognition, already having three Oscar nominations to her name for her roles in Junebug, Doubt, and The Fighter.

Her upcoming roles are most certainly numerous already, including The Muppets (which comes in the UK out this Friday), Paul Thomas Anderson’s long-awaited The Master, the Jack Kerouac adaptation On the Road, Zack Snyder’s Superman film Man of Steel, and Trouble with the Curve opposite Clint Eastwood.

To go on top of all of them (with all but the last having finished filming already), THR report that Adams has now signed on to both star in and produce an adaptation of comedian Steve Martin’s 2010 novel, An Object of Beauty.

Courtesy of Waterstones, the plot for the book looks a little like this:

“Lacey Yeager is beautiful, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. She begins her career at Sotheby’s, amidst the winks and nods of the fabulously wealthy. But hungry for more – and pursued by a whiff of scandal – Lacey migrates to edgy Downtown, watching Hirsts and Warhols multiply in value before her eyes. Charming men and women, old and young, rich and even richer, Lacey’s ascendancy seems assured. But when the art world bubble looks set to burst, a secret from her past rears its head, threatening to undermine everything she has worked for.”

The film will be Adams’ first producing credit, and as her name is becoming more well-known among audiences, it seems she’s looking to take an even bigger role in the filmmaking process, so here’s to hoping that we can look forward to much more from her in the years to come. No word yet on who’ll be adapting the novel or helming the project, but hopefully we’ll have more news to bring you soon.

Trouble with the Curve is currently in pre-production and is scheduled to be released in the US on 28^th September this year, which means that it will almost certainly go first on Adams’ schedule, with a quick production expected. With a bit of luck, maybe An Object of Beauty will be next in line, giving us another chance to see the brilliant actress in a leading role. Things are very much looking good for her, which is excellent to hear.

A comedy about bird watching – or ‘birding’, as it’s officially known – is such a random concept that it must surely be one of great mockery of the pastime. But Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel’s The Big Year manages to give it a little eccentric charm and grounded purpose, while relying on household comedy old-timers Owen Wilson, Jack Black and Steve Martin to add the feel-good factor.

Based on a non-fiction book by Mark Obmascik, the story follows Brad Harris (Black), a mummy’s boy and IT worker who is obsessed with birds of the ornithological kind. His dream is to take a year out and spot as many bird types as possible to win the coveted, annual Big Year, an informal competition dominated by the world’s best birder, Kenny Bostick (Wilson), who finds all kinds of devious ways to put others off the scent of the whereabouts of the feathered friends. Stu Preissler (Martin), a successful captain of industry, wants to retire completely from the corporate game and concentrate on a shot at the title. Through their avid love of birds, the three begin on an adventure that will change their circumstances forever.

At the heart of Frankel’s comedy beats an unbridled passion of sorts, with a quirky insight into the sacrifices made to stay at the top of the game that will resonate with all that watch it. It’s also a coming-of-age story for all three men entering different stages of their lives. Wilson, Black and Martin are as affable as ever, if too congenial to the point of being rather innoxious for some – even with Bostick’s scheming. However, they still make up an entertaining trio, with the latter two no strangers to playing oddball comedic characters and taking birders in their confident strides. At the same time, a strange, quietening respect for their characters’ choice of pastime grows, especially as it offers a chance to travel and see and learn a bit about nature – a candid reminder for some workaholic viewers of life outside the office’s four walls.

This release or escapism, coupled with the film’s joie de vivre, is warmly infectious, and also masks Frankel’s and screenwriter Howard Franklin’s mere surface-level look at what really drives such a person to do such an all-consuming and committed task. Admittedly, without the personal life dilemmas – Harris’s strained relationship with his father, Bostick’s crumbling marriage, and Preissler’s desire to leave the corporate rat race, Frankel’s film would become a totally pointless one, bordering on offensive farce.

These sub-plots may detract from the birding path of the primary goal – to see the next Big Year winner crowned – but they also act to keep the characters grounded and more believable as they struggle to juggle things back home. In fact, all three actors could have played over-the-top caricatures, but Frankel keeps the humour following through the tragic fallout of their actions, which in turn endears them to us more.

The only incredulous part of the whole affair is how no one cheats, especially as just recognising a birdcall equates to having spotted it – Harris being the master of this, but this and the rules are not fully explained. In a nice little bit of extra fluff to add to Frankel’s romanticising of the pastime, Harris’s calls attract a new human mate. Naturally, Ellie (Rashida Jones) is totally out of his league under normal circumstances, if it wasn’t for her unusual hobby. Still, as groan-worthy as this might sound, it’s always undeniably cute to watch the underdog get the girl, and live to tell the tale at the end. And just to add some fun British eccentricity to the mix is John Cleese as the historical montage narrator.

The Big Year is as mild a comedy as one gets with personable characters, so as to normalise the birder and allow us to empathise with their calling – as well as attract the family audience. Its draw is not only the fascination of how such a subject matter transpires to be funny without becoming idiotic, but also the appealing combination of Wilson, Black and Martin, who play it safe and sound in this. Perhaps, in a whole different premise, Frankel and co. might have taken a bolder step into the darkly comedic look of the birder’s psyche and added more of a gust of air into this film’s feathers to allow it to soar above its cautious comedic charms.

***~~ (3/5)

To celebrate the release of ‘The Big Year’ in cinemas Friday, we’re offering 5 lucky readers the chance to win the book on which the film was based; The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession, written by Mark Obmascik.

In this comedy for grown-ups, Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson portray three men from different walks of life, each facing unique personal challenges. The one thing they share is an uncommon passion for…bird watching. In the biggest competition of their biggest year, they undertake an unforgettable trek through North America, fall in and out of love, engage in hilarious and bizarre adventures, and form friendships that will last a lifetime. Directed by David Frankel (“Marley and Me,” “The Devil Wears Prada”).

The Big Year is in cinemas Friday The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession was published by Transworld and available to buy now here.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 5th December at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received
• No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Although The Big Year appears to lack the bite and edge that one might hope for from a Steve Martin vehicle, it is perhaps in keeping with the gradual softening of his output (as well as that of his cohorts Jack Black and Owen Wilson) and hey, as our Steven Neish is forever saying regarding comic book adaps, why does everything have to be darker and grittier? Why can’t we have a bit of fun?

We posted the first trailer and poster a month or so back and now those fine folks at Yahoo have given us another clip. Please keep your expectations extremely low. This is perhaps the least interesting film clip I have seen in months, showcasing pretty much nothing except the slight frustration that can be occasioned by waiting for a long line of girl scouts to cross a narrow bridge. We can only hope that the film itself is funnier, more engaging and more compelling that these sorry 67 seconds. If it isn’t, this could get ugly.

Source: Yahoo.

It is a little difficult to see past the slightly twee quality of the trailer for The Big Year, which sees Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson joining together to spend a year doing what they always dreamed of doing. That’s not to say that is necessarily a bad thing, as with comic movie adaptations, not everything has to go darker and grittier. Comedies can be light-hearted and life-affirming, they don’t have to be edgy and daring. Just funny.

Will it be funny? Well, there seem to be a few chuckles to be had here, but the obvious suspicion that the best material is on show in the trailer raises a few concerns about the quality of the rest of the film. Certainly the intro from the stars brings a smile to the face. Let’s be gracious and give it the benefit of the doubt. Enjoy the trailer and new poster below. The film hits us in the face on 11th November 2011 (14th October in the good old USofA).

Thank you to Apple and YouTube.

I guess it all began on our first date.

From our initial conversations, I knew that Dave was “a bit of a film buff”. To my great amusement and delight, he was able to quote a solid chunk of dialogue from one of my favourite films, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, accompanied by a great impression of Steve Martin’s reaction to Michael Caine’s whipping of his bare shins.

We’d also discussed our mutual love of Hitchcock films, heatedly debating whether “Marnie” was anywhere near as good a film as “Rear Window”. But it was not until our first date, a trip to see Baz Luhrman’s “Moulin Rouge”, that the level of his interest was made clear.

I’d been on a few dates to the cinema with various guys before, but not quite like this. As we grabbed our sweet popcorn and Diet Coke and then walked, hand-in-hand, to the screen,  I prepared myself for a romance-fest. You see, everyone knows that a dark cinema is a perfect setting for some snuggling and, at the very least,  a kiss.  However, as the trailers began, Dave’s attention was clearly not on any romance of any kind. He looked straight ahead, happy to hold my hand, but completely fixed on the enormous screen in front of him. He did not talk, did not move and most certainly did not kiss me.

Now, let me make myself clear, my husband is a very romantic man. Flowers, love letters, sweet text messages, surprises and special foodie treats regularly make their way to me. Such a loving man is hard to find and I am absolutely sure our three children would agree. He is extremely helpful and loving, connecting with me and our kids as much as he can. However, when it comes to films, he is well and truly wooed.

On the way home from our date that night, Dave recounted his favourite scenes, his favourite lines (word-for-word) and then talked animatedly about Baz Luhrman’s other films, of which I was also a great fan. As he dropped me off that night, I knew I was beginning a rather big adventure with a complete cinephile.

I could get annoyed by it all, I suppose. Collecting DVDs, film postcards, cinema tickets, various books about directors, film movements and SFX. But, I love the fact that my husband has a passion that is not football. I love his face when I present him with surprise tickets to a midnight premiere of a superhero film. I love placing his just-delivered film magazine on our bed, knowing that he’ll come home, rip open the cellophane and get all excited about newly-released photos from the set of a film coming soon. I love the way he drags our kids to the computer to watch a just-released trailer for a film he’s been telling them about for months. I love that our eldest son is obsessed with SFX and can happily watch a film, looking at the artistry with which it has been made, thanks to his dad’s explanation of green screen and CGI. It’s all very cool and very cute.

And it’s not like I didn’t know what he was like. In fact, seven months after our first date we were engaged and during a long journey to a friend’s wedding, we chatted and found ourselves in one of those typical man/woman conversations, where the void between the sexes is clear for all to see…the script went something like this…

Me: I love you, Babe.

Him: I love you too, Honey.

(He smiles and chuckles gently to himself, clearly recalling a happy memory)

(She smiles at him, enjoying, what must be, a romantic thought about their relationship or their future together. Maybe he’s thinking about the children they will have, or their old age, spent blissfully happy together, by the sea.)

Me: What?

Him: Hmm?

Me: You smiled. What are you thinking about?

Him: Oh, nothing.

Me: Oh! Tell me, I want to know what you’re thinking about.

Him: It’s nothing. I’m not thinking about anything.

Me: Well you must be thinking about something, You can’t be thinking about nothing.

(He pauses.)

Him: Well, it’s just…I was just remembering this line from Ace Ventura.

(End of conversation.)

Sally Roper is the happily married cine-widow of Dave Roper.

Tangled, Disney’s take on the tale of Rapunzel, hits cinemas in the UK on the 28th of January 2011 but HeyUGuys is giving you the chance to see the film for free this Sunday.

The film is being screened in a Central London location this Sunday at 9.30am and we’ve got 3 set of four tickets to win.

Here’s a trailer to whip you into a suitable frenzy,

All you have to do to win one of these sets of tickets is to answer the following question using the form below,

Which actress voices the character of Rapunzel?

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only and you must be able to make the screening on the 12th of December at Leicester Square in London at 6.00pm
• Only one entry per household will be counted.
• The competition will close on Friday the 10th of December at 12.00 GMT.
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received.

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Recently 2009 Oscars hosting favourite Hugh Jackman chose to suit up once again for Wolverine and ruled himself out of returning to host Hollywood’s biggest night, and while this year’s hosting duo of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did a good job they are not hosting next year’s event.

It’s been announced today that James Franco and Anne Hathaway are the dynamic duo doing the honours, making pre-scripted small talk and handing out gongs. It’s unexpected to say the least, though they are certainly icons of the young Hollywood which the Academy hope will ramp up the ratings.

Famously Bob Hope and Billy Crystal were Oscar mainstays in the 1960s and 1990s respectively and Jackman aside it has usually been a collection or solo comedians who have hosted the big backslap, and there’s absolutely no telling how Hathaway and Franco will do, particularly as Franco is pretty much guaranteed to be nominated for Best Actor for his role as Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours.

Click here to see how Jackman opened proceedings two years ago, with Anne Hathaway making a memorable contribution. It’s a class act.

Want the official word? Here’s a press release for your eyes,

Beverly Hills, CA — James Franco and Anne Hathaway will serve as co-hosts of the 83rd Academy Awards®, Oscar telecast producers Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer announced today. Both have previously appeared on the telecast but not in hosting capacities.“James Franco and Anne Hathaway personify the next generation of Hollywood icons— fresh, exciting and multi-talented. We hope to create an Oscar broadcast that will both showcase their incredible talents and entertain the world on February-27,” said Cohen and Mischer. “We are completely thrilled that James and Anne will be joining forces with our brilliant creative team to do just that.”

Franco, who currently can be seen in “127 Hours,” will be making his second appearance on an Oscar telecast. His other film credits include “Eat, Love, Pray,” “Date Night,” “Milk” and “Pineapple Express.” Franco is also known for his portrayals of Harry Osborn in the “Spider-Man” trilogy.

Hathaway will be making her fifth appearance on an Academy Awards telecast. She was recently seen in “Alice in Wonderland” and currently can be seen in “Love and Other Drugs.“ Hathaway’s other film credits include “Bride Wars,” “Becoming Jane,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and “The Princess Diaries.” She was nominated for an Oscar in 2008 for her lead performance in “Rachel Getting Married.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Deadline had it, although they did that awful Toldja nonsense too.

Whether or not you wish it were the other way around, Hugh Jackman has reportedly turned down the opportunity to reprise his hosting duties for the 83rd annual Academy Awards so that he can fulfil his X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2 obligations. Priorities, Hugh!

To be aired live on the 27th February next year, the Oscars will clash with his and director Darren Aronofsky’s planned location shoots in New York and Japan.

Proving popular back in 2009, Jackman had initially intended on returning for the 2011 ceremony after taking a year out. With the host usually announced on November 3rd, it is not yet known if last year’s hosts – who could forget Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin’s collaboration – will return for the second year running.

Were you a fan of Jackman’s hosting skills? Who do you think might replace him? Let us know in the comments section below. Personally, my money’s on Winkleman. She’s everywhere.

Disney have just released the new International trailer for their CG take on the story of Rapunzel, Tangled.

The movie is directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard and features a voice cast which includes Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ewan McGregor and Steve Martin.

And there is some lovely new footage here for you to enjoy.

Tangled is out in the UK on the 28th of January 2011. Yes, that is a long time.

Disney’s Tangled isn’t released in the UK until 28th January but it comes out in the US 24th November so the marketing will start to ramp up as the date draws in.

The latest promo is an awesome parody video which can be found on the Tangled Facebook fanpage. It’s shot Blair Witch style and shows someone finding the tower which houses Rapunzel after finding an awful lot of hair! We can expect a video every five or 6 days from now.

Tangled is directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard and features a voice cast which includes Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ewan McGregor and Steve Martin.

Click here to view

Disney have released this brand new French poster for their new movie, Tangled (aka Rapunzel) which is released in UK cinemas  28th January 2011 so it’s still a while away.

The movie is directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard and features a voice cast which includes Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ewan McGregor and Steve Martin.

You can view a trailer for Tangled here.

Thanks to ComingSoon for unleashing this on the world!

Even though I wasn’t entirely convinced with the trailer which came out recently I think Disney’s take on the Rapunzel story has a ton of charm as long as they can reign in Zachary Levi’s square jaw a touch.

I’m a sucker for concept art and this new pic is a small part of the artwork already revealed for Nathan Greno and Byron Howard’s film. If you can to click here, you’ll see another couple of images Disney released to whet appetites and take names.

After being spoiled by Disney’s The Princess and the Frog it’s not going to be easy jumping back aboard the CG bandwagon, and there is a tiny, but not imperceptible, loss of anticipation when you compare these images with the CG images on offer.

And here’s another piece of art which we missed in the last round up.

I think /Film pointed us to these.

Disney have released some new concept art for their new movie, Tangled (aka Rapunzel) which is released in UK cinemas (from what I can find) 28th January 2011 so it’s still a while away. The movie is directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard who preside over a voice cast that includes Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ewan McGregor and Steve Martin.

These new images give us a look at the movies’ hero running away from chasing arrows and numerous cavalry and the second of Rapunzel looking less than impress as she does for much of the teaser trailer that was released a month ago.

Thanks to Bleeding Cool for sharing these with the world.

Here’s a movie that I’ve been waiting an age to see and finally found time while waiting in an NHS queue that was over 2 hours long! It’s Complicated stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin in a movie about love – or the complicated nature in which love usually presents itself.

It’s Complicated is directed by Nancy Meyers (The Holiday)  who also wrote the story and screenplay.

Two-time Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin star in this hilarious look at marriage, divorce and everything in between.

Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has – after a decade of divorce – an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable – an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness, Jane is now, of all things, the other woman. Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane’s kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realises he’s become part of a love triangle. Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It’s–complicated.

Although this movie is a comedy, it deals with some quite serious issues for Streep’s character, in fact for all three of the main cast. The whole, ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’ idea is really put to the test in this movie which will have you laughing out loud at various points as the story becomes somewhat absurd but always keeps you wanting to find out how this bizarre but strangely believable saga might turn out.

I really enjoyed It’s Complicated, it’s not my usual sort of movie but anything with a cast which includes Streep, Martin and Baldwin has to be worth a look and in this case, i think you’ll very much enjoy it.

You can purchase It’s Complicated through iTunes here, or purchase the DVD / Blu Ray on Amazon here.

The DVD Special Features include:

• Feature commentary
• The making of It’s Complicated

Late last night we posted a trailer for a trailer and now we can bring you the full teaser trailer for Tangled.

Tangled is Disney’s take on the story of Rapunzel, directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard who preside over a voice cast that includes Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ewan McGregor and Steve Martin.

It’s a pretty good trailer, cute and slapstick in good measure and this one will draw the crowds, and Disney need have set the bar up pretty high with their recent return to hand drawn animation, The Princess and the Frog.

While this is another 3D CG animation I’m hoping it will be a little more subversive than this trailer suggests.

We’re all getting quite excited about Disney’s Tangled over here at HeyUGuys and not more so than today as the first final footage from the movie has been released as an advert on The Disney Channel who’ll be  showing more footage from the movie this Sunday.

Tangled, based on the story of Rapunzel is directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard with a voice cast that includes Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ewan McGregor and Steve Martin.

Tangled is set for release in the US, November this year but according to my new favourite place for finding UK dates, FilmDates.co.uk, it’s not going to be released until 28th January in the UK. Those Disney dudes always make us wait SO long!!

Thanks to FirstShowing via Slashfilm for the heads up on this one. Check out the teaser for the footage below and we’ll see if we can get the full clip from Sunday up as soon as possible.

To celebrate the release of It’s Complicated starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin in cinemas NOW, we are giving away some ‘Complicated’ goodies!

Synopsis: Writer/director Nancy Meyers (What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday) directs Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin in It’s Complicated, a comedy about love, divorce and everything in between.

Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has—after a decade of divorce—an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable—an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now, of all things, the other woman.

Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane’s kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he’s become part of a love triangle.

Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It’s…complicated.

You can check out the full HeyUGuys review here.

We have the chance for three lucky readers to win 1 of each of the following:

• A copy of Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday on DVD
• An It’s Complicated notebook and pen

To be in with a chance of winning this prize, all you need to do is tell us the answer to the following:

Which 1991 Steve Martin film did Nancy Meyers co-write?

Send your answer to complicated@heyuguys.co.uk

Please include your address so that we can send you the goodies should you win.

All the usual T&Cs apply, and you can view those here.

The small print:

* This competition is open to the UK only.

* Only one entry per household will be counted.

* The competition will close Friday the 15th of January at 23.59 GMT.

* The winners will be picked at random from entries received.

Good Luck!

It’s Complicated is a surprisingly enjoyable and delightful relationship comedy/drama staring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and a return to form comic performance from Steve Martin.

When I say surprisingly delightful and enjoyable I mean for me personally as I normally stay well away from these sort of films as they normally fail to offer anything more than a a mildly amused smirk from the corner of my mouth or a peer induced chuckle due to others giggling around me, and with Nancy Meyers Directing who Directed such bore inducing comas as The Holiday, What Women Want and Somethings got to give, I wasn’t expecting much but i was definitely more than mildly amused this time round.

The story is pretty uncomplicated and works nicely and if it wasn’t for the excellent cast it probably would have been another generic “Dramedy” that would be worth a rent from Lovefilm.  But thanks to the excellent Meryl Streep as Jane, a divorced late middle aged woman who has finally come to terms with the fact her ex-husband Jack (Baldwin) cheated on her with a younger woman that she can bare being in his company (and his younger wife) again at social events.

With Jane and Jack having three kids together and their son graduating college the entire family head to New York to celebrate. Jack’s new young wife can’t make it so in her absence Jack uses his new found freedom and youthful vitality to hit on his ex-wife and after a few too many glasses of wine, dancing and reminiscing Jane becomes the other woman in an affair with her ex-husband  against the woman who she was cheated on….. It’s complicated right?

Steve Martin’s character Adam fits into this bizarre love square as an architect who is redesigning her home to suit her needs after her final kid leaves the nest leaving her alone, Adam is a pretty ordinary straight character and the type of comic character Steve Martin should play more often, Being a divorcee himself he wants to get to know Jane better and during the dilemma of Jane’s should I, shouldn’t I affair with her ex-husband he gets his chance with hilarious consequences as he gets stoned with Jane at a party and Steve Martin shows flashes of his previous comic best.

Supporting the main cast is the standout  John Krasinski (Office, Away We Go) as Harley, the future son-in-law to Jane and Jack who inadvertently becomes the only witness to the affair that unfolds before him an having to get involved in keeping it a secret from their kids. Krasinski excels in the awkward position and adds extra comic fire-power to the laughs and further shows why he is becoming one of the best comedy actors around.

The film deals with the huge issues of the affair with their children being kept in the dark as their divorced parents try to keep it a secret unsuccessfully and with the like-able Adam as the man Jane should choose as the smart intelligent adult that she is, she is torn between Adam the new guy where everything seems new and exciting or the man she knows inside and out, Jack.

The film is well written by Nancy Meyers and it’s the story and characters which standout to produced a very good comedy and on the whole it makes up for her unexciting and routine direction. It’s Complicated is a film that has a lighthearted and mature feel and although feeling like it’s aimed at the older female audience, and there are some scenes that were aimed at just women especially when Jane and her mates get together, the film really will appeal to a wider viewing public and I recommend it fully.

The film made me laugh out loud quite a few times throughout and it entertained me from start to finish. I think most of it’s success comes from the believable performance by Streep and the excellent turn by 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin who has become one of the best comedic performers on TV at the present time and it’s a dam shame he has announced his retirement from acting in 2012 after his contract on the excellent TV series 30 Rock finishes, as on this evidence he has so much more to offer delivering some shocking hilarious crude lines and visual comedy that is a shear joy to watch.

A fun film, very entertaining and a surprisingly good laugh and with a smile creating return to form by Steve Martin and the ever excellent Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep its a great way to bring in the New Year in cinemas.

It’s Complicated is out on the 8th January.

To accompany the new trailer for It’s Complicated (which I wasn’t at all impressed with), here’s a new poster (click to enlarge) to go alongside it courtesy of IGN. The poster is actually pretty funny and good one Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin for posing for this shot, if they actually did!

It’s Complicated also stars Steve Martin and although I think it looks pants, I’ve been reliably informed that it’s actually well worth a watch! We’ll have to wait until 8th January to find out!