“GREENBERG” Stay? Go?

I recently left “Greenberg” even though there were still 20 minutes left to go. You’ll probably look at me askance, but I’ve always given myself permission to leave a performance before its conclusion, whether or not it's a meaningless something on TV, or Puccini at The Met. It’s all the same to me. I feel this is entirely reasonable strategy if  things start to bore. Or offend. Or ones emotions are being toyed with for no discernible, or worthwhile purpose. (Most of my friends usually stick things out until the bitter, life-draining end.)

          Greenberg is dark, actually charcoal gray. Nihilism comes to mind. The acting, however, was just great, but given the lack of significant content, one has to wonder -- to what useful end? Greta Gerwig, who is Florence, opposite Ben Stiller’s Roger G., appears in her [quote]breakthrough role[end-of- quote.] Florence is a silly, misguided girl, as unkempt inside as she is out. She flounders and flails. Greenberg is your average joyless, boring confused neurotic. But even though Florence is so authentically real, I knew that Greta, the actor, could not be playing herself because that girl probably wouldn’t have made it to the audition on the right day. But about Ben Stiller, I wasn’t so sure. Was Roger Greenberg actually the real Ben Stiller finally revealed? OMG. I hoped not. In this film, Stiller didn’t have the marvelously idiotic Derek Zoolander, or Greg Focker to inhabit. Here he was just playing a "Guy." But don’t worry. It’s OK. A few weeks later, when I saw him interviewed at The Times Center and I knew. No Greenberg – he. Roger Greenberg was just an act! In real life, Ben Stiller is an immensely likable, winning, funny, life-embracing New York kind of a guy. Wheeeeeeew!

          I left Greenberg before it was over because Yuck! I simply couldn’t stand to be in the same room with Florence and Roger any longer. (High praise for the magical reality that good acting conjures up, but a pity when the material doesn’t.)
          So,  Dear Reader, you’re welcome to borrow my MO. You, too, can quit while you’re still ahead. Leave. Go home. Enjoy life. Anytime. Anywhere. Money, be damned! There’s more where that came from, but I doubt whether that applies to your very precious time. (BTW -- Does anyone know how Greenberg ends?)