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Mr. Jealousy.
Noah Baumbach hit paydirt back in 1995 with Kicking and Screaming, but in Mr. Jealousy, which he also directed and wrote, he does not offer his audience anywhere near the same complexity of character or plot. He also makes some glaring errors in regards to human nature. Eric Stoltz plays Lester who is supposed to be a man plagued by obsession and jealousy. However, Stoltz as always, is cool and engaging which means that he was a poor choice for the role. His demeanor is not in keeping with someone who is a jealous neurotic as he presents as being relaxed and anxiety free.
Regardless of personality impressions, we witness early on that Lester has partaken in some strange adventures over the course of his life’s romantic relationships. Eventually, he enacts a most bizarre stunt involving an ex-boyfriend and group therapy during the film’s climax. The audience is supposed to laugh at Lester because our society views jealousy as being a pathological trait, yet this is just another example of the way that human nature is misunderstood.
Yes, the O.J. Simpson brand of jealousy is pathological and anti-social; however, sexual jealousy in itself is quite adaptive and useful in the lives men. Were we not sexually jealous, our days would be spent raising other men’s children and laboring to support women who shame and cuckold us. Furthermore, I would argue that a man who experiences no jealousy in regards to his mate/wife/girlfriend/whatever, is a man who is not in love.
Baumach completely mishandles his main character. In the opening sequence, he reveals that Lester was scarred by infidelity in his youth, yet his reaction to his girlfriend cheating on him is most civilized by any standard. Nearly all men would find such an event as traumatic as Lester did. Indeed, his present choice in girlfriends, Ramona, is a scandalous tramp, and his jealous feelings in regards to her would be universally shared. When one meets such a woman, the best thing to do is to break up with them because they will be an unending source of misery for whoever is dumb enough to become vested in their welfare. Not only is Ramona not “marriage material”, she’s not even “girlfriend material.” She’s a walking case of syphilis. Most calamitous for the film’s message, is that Lester is correct to be so worried about her because she proves his worst fears true. If anything, the lesson we learn is that Lester is not jealous enough. Paradoxically, once the unthinkable happens, his reaction is not that of an obsessive and haunted man at all. He responds like a kind and friendly metrosexual. Instead of screaming at her, he is respectful and apologetic. That he would even speak to her in the closing scene at all is nothing short of astounding. Lester is everything that our post-feminist society prays for in its fabricated housecat men. His is a life to be abhorred. The movie ends up delivering a flawed contradictory message regarding the behaviors of men.