Movie Review by Shamanic Astrologer Erik Roth
Ben Stiller plays a 40-year old man, Roger Greenberg, a carpenter, (and former aspiring musician) in the beginning stages of his mid-life crises (in the modern-day sense). He hasn’t committed to anything and his plans are only to do ‘nothing’ for a while. Roger Greenberg has heavy Virgo energies with a bit of an Aquarian glaze experiencing the full-force of Neptune square Neptune. This Neptune cycle is about letting go of attachment, being ok with confusion and not knowing what direction you are heading in life and emptying your mind to bring in new visions.
In the movie, Greenberg is house-sitting for his brother in Los Angeles and he has created time to hang out, re-connect with some old friends and generally do whatever he wants. However, he runs into situations where he begins to bond with a woman, Florence (played by Greta Gerwig) who wants more from Greenberg, but he distances himself while still attempting to engage in a casual relationship with her. Florence is equipped with Libra and Pisces energies that have a lot of trouble relating to Greenberg. He really doesn’t know what he is doing and his purpose is scattered. There are scenes of him over-analyzing, doing a building project for his brother (and not finishing it) and generally going where the wind takes him. An example of that comes in the form of two young women about to travel to Australia and invite him to come along at the last minute. He mulls it over for a few seconds, decides, hops in the car with them leaving everything behind, including his brother’s dog and Florence. About a mile or two down the road responsibility gets the best of him and he demands to go.
One of the sub-plots of the movie is his brother’s dog becoming ill. Roger is clearly out of his element in this and convinces Florence to help him. The dog’s illness becomes a device or an excuse of Greenberg to see Florence again after driving her away. Greenberg has no idea how he is playing on her compassion and sympathy and desire to for a partner by continuing to engage with her.
Another scene shows his detachment from reality when one of his long-time friends, Ivan (played by Rhys Ifans) who he jammed with during his younger years, confronts him with the notion that very few people actually liked him. Greenberg was taken aback by it, not knowing how to respond and then became consumed with analyzing himself.
If anyone is in a heavy Neptune cycle (or at their Neptune square Neptune), this is a movie worth watching.