As the snow melts and the bitter cold recedes, we, the people of Earth, get ready for the summer movie season. This season usually coincides with blockbusters and other films on the large-scale end of the movie spectrum. There is however another end that is far different. The indie film scene. The small guys. They don’t stand much of a chance, but with a film like “Greenberg” to start them off, it looks like they’re not going down without a fight.

The story of Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is about as unbalanced as his mental state. Now in his 40s, Greenberg has hit a point in his life where he has nothing, wants nothing and is nothing. Fresh out of a stay at a psychiatric institution for a nervous breakdown, he takes a job housesitting for his brother.

There he meets his brother’s assistant Florence (Greta Gerwig) when she comes over to feed and walk the dog. The attraction is anything but instantaneous. When she asks him if he needs anything, his mind is so blank that all he conjures up on a piece of paper is the healthy combination of whiskey and ice cream sandwiches.

Noah Baumbach’s films have no shortage of outlandish and complicated relationships, and “Greenberg” is no different. When Greenberg calls Florence and asks her to go out for a drink, you’d assume they would head to the local watering hole, but then again you don’t know Roger Greenberg too well. In a scene that makes awkward cool, Greenberg and Florence end up back at her place, splitting a Corona sip for sip and making their first connection in the form of a clumsy sprint to third base.

As the film rolls on, Greenberg spends a lot of time with his only friend and former bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans). His longtime pal helps him realize that his behavior over the years has been in large part unacceptable, while his relationship with Florence eventually evolves like a roller coaster teetering on coming unhinged from the tracks.

Noah Baumbach is one of the few writer-directors recently that has had a style all his own. His dialogue is all so real, it begins to feel unreal — and I mean that in a positive way. He knows what he wants to write and he doesn’t hesitate to do so. You can’t help but think a lot of his characters, whether male or female, are derived from Baumbach himself. His statements towards commercial industries and the young generations behavior seems far too personal to think otherwise.

Every now and then we see a trademark comedian dive into a dramatic role. A lot of times it fails, but when it works, the results seem to be astonishing. This isn’t Baumbach’s first time calling upon a comedian — Jack Black in “Margot at the Wedding” — and I’m sure it won’t be his last. Stiller plays neurotic and insane perfectly. He hits his insulting lines dead on with a seriousness that is perfect for this dark comedy.

Stiller’s costars in the film, Greta Gerwig and indie film veteran Rhys Ifans, also caught my fancy. They couldn’t have been better suited for their roles. Gerwig is a great canvas for Stiller to portray his character’s anger, as she also shows some talent that should not be overlooked.

I think “Greenberg” will get a lot more attention than people think because of the quality of film that it is. This is a film that inspires writers and aspiring filmmakers to work a little harder. There may not appear to be anything special about the film when referring to edge of your seat excitement, but it delivers everything one needs to enjoy a film. It’s only been a few months but I’m going to jump the gun and say this will end up on a lot of critic’s top ten lists at the end of the year.