A Deeper Look at "It's Complicated"

Let's be clear right here at the start. This is a funny, funny movie; actually all the way through, if you're only taking in the surface action. But, watch out for all the deeper stuff in the undercurrent.

Speaking of surface here's the plot line. Jane (Meryl Streep) has been divorced for 10 years from her ex-husband of 28 years, Jake (Alec Baldwin). They have 3 (now grown) children together. They divorced because he cheated on her with a 20-year younger woman Agnes, to whom he's now married. Jane's hasn't remarried; she lives alone. Even though the work part of her life goes well (she owns a successful bakery/restaurant), she doesn't have a dating life and she's self-conscious about her 50-something looks.

When the family goes to their son's college graduation, Jake goes alone; Agnes, his wife, is back home sick. Without planning it, Jake and Jane find they're staying at the same hotel. They accidentally meet at the hotel bar where they drink, eat and dance together. They get drunk and end up in bed together.

A Deeper Look at "Maid in Manhattan"

On the surface, this is the story of a maid, Marissa (Jennifer Lopez), a single mom, who works at a posh New York City hotel. Midway through the movie she's chosen for a supervisor's training program. She enters the program and is doing well. Under odd circumstances, one day Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), a senatorial candidate staying at the hotel, meets Marissa and mistakes her for the wealthy socialite, Caroline Lane. Against her better judgment Marissa goes along with the deception and they spend one magical, intimate night together. Marissa is fired when the real Caroline Lane exposes her as a fraud.

Now, for A Deeper Look.

Both in her work and her personal life, we see that Marissa is a Superiority (Achieving personality; she has many goals.) Because they get bored easily, Achieving people love moving forward to new things. They want variety. They seek change because it means growth