|
Movie Review - The Break-Up (2006)
|
|
|
|
|
(What this rating means)
|
|
| |
|
| Director: |
Peyton Reed |
| Starring: |
Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams, Cole Hauser, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Judy Davis, Justin Long, and Vincent D'Onofrio |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for sexual content, some nudity and language) |
| Length: |
105 minutes |
| Genre: |
Romantic Dramedy |
| Tagline: |
. . . pick a side. |
| Studio: |
Universal |
| Website: |
The Break-Up |
| Release: |
June 2, 2006 |
|
PLOT
|
Tired of what she perceives as a constant lack of appreciation, Jennifer Aniston finally decides to put the ol'
kibosh on her relationship with Vince Vaughn. However, they share a condo, and both refuse to give it up. After
all, this is prime real estate in the Chicago area. Rather than working out an equally beneficial compromise,
they mark their territory and engage in a little mean-spirited emotional warfare.
Will the two figure out how to amicably go their separate ways, or will they realize that they're truly meant to
be together? A somewhat unconventional romantic comedy that I refuse to call a "romantic comedy" ensues.
|
|
JOHNNY'S TAKE
|
As mama used to say, "The extent of the nourishment you get from your entertainment water is directly related to
how deep your well of expectations runs." I always thought mama was a bit too verbose in her metaphorical
philosophizing, but there's truth in them there words!
Thanks to Hollywood's constant desire to market films based on what they feel they have to trick people into
thinking they're about, some audiences will likely go to see The Break-Up, ignore the insinuations of
the movie's title, and expect something cute and fluffy. As such, the movie is unfairly saddled with expectations
that it can't possibly meet for no other reason than the simple fact that this is NOT a conventional "chick flick"
romantic comedy that will warm those little heart cockles and send you floating out of the theater on a cotton
candy cloud.
After a chance meeting at a Cubs/White Sox baseball game, an "opening credit relationship photo montage" creatively
establishes that Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn are a couple. Just not for much longer. You see, Jennifer
is busy cooking for a family dinner. Vince's only responsibility is to bring home 12 lemons so that she
can create a centerpiece for the dinner table. So what does he do? Brings home three. Jen's understandably
agitated.
Rather than dutifully go get the extra lemons, Vince tries to find alternatives that will allow him to
just sit on the couch and play video games until everybody arrives. Perhaps use the lemons to flavor the
chicken since he tasted it and thought it was a little too spicy anyway? Maybe place them in a glass and create
a smaller centerpiece? Yeah, it's fairly clear which three letters he puts in "class."
This leads to his lack of desire to help with the dishes later that evening. Oh, he'll help with them in the
morning, but Jen really wants them done tonight. Fifteen minutes of work won't kill the guy, right? When Jen
expresses her disdain for the lack of appreciation he shows her, he goes into a character-exposing rant and
declares his desire to just be left alone. Jen's had enough and decides to grant him his wish. Commence with
the break-up and the emotional tug-of-war that carries the majority of the movie.
This is where some audiences might get lost. Why? Probably because it feels so real, and sometimes reality
doesn't always sell. People still love fairy tales, you know? The arguments and hard-feelings that slowly
develop will likely hit home with anybody who has gone through a break up, and I have no doubt that many, if not
most, guys will fill a little discomfort when they see some of themselves in Vince.
The thing I appreciated the most is despite his penchant for being a jerk, Vince isn't adorned with a black hat and
presented to us for our jeering. It's just the way he is. He likes doing things his way. He treats his friends
and brothers in the same manner, but they still love the guy and like hanging out with him; he just needs to learn
to accept doing things he might not want to for the people he loves. He's likable and funny enough that we root for
him to learn the lesson.
Likewise, Jennifer isn't placed on a pedestal with a golden halo on her head. Though she's the more sympathetic
of the two, she still resorts to playing dirty and isn't allowed to come off completely innocent. Perhaps the
character flaws won't play well with the "give me idealistic characters!" crowd, but I found them refreshingly
realistic.
The movie's focal point is the often volatile chemistry between Vince and Jennifer, which I thought was great,
but the supporting characters are also very effective, albeit underused. Vince has some show-stealing scenes with
Jason Bateman and particularly one with Jon Favreau (and his ever-increasing girth) that are so good that you can't
help but be disappointed that there aren't more to savor.
Speaking of disappointment, go ahead and prepare yourself for the potential of more as the closing credits begin
to scroll. I admit that I wanted a little more closure than I was given, and that seemed to be the audience
consensus. I suppose we should admire the screenwriters for sticking by their guns and refusing to tie all the
loose ends as tightly as test audiences have demanded, but that doesn't mean we have to be happy about it. I
could have handled it better had it not felt so abrupt and left me feeling a little incomplete.
But it certainly doesn't ruin the movie. You just need to check your expectations and give the film a fair chance.
Don't be a pawn of the marketing team's efforts to mislead audiences into the door.
If you're a Vince fan I would also advise you not to expect the Johnny Jump-Up zaniness of The Wedding
Crashers or Dodgeball. The Break-Up is a movie of a different breed. Abandoning the temptation
to deliver a consistently uproarious comedy romp, The Break-Up deliberately balances itself with dramatic
conflict, and gives us something a little different than what Hollywood has forced us to become accustomed
to.
It doesn't do it flawlessly, but at least it makes the attempt.
|
|
ODDS & ENDS
|
- Sorry, but ol' Johnny just doesn't have time today for hilariously captioned pics and mind-numbingly
educational Odds & Ends. I'm sure you understand.
- Jennifer Aniston was in Along Came Polly with Ben Stiller who was in
Flirting with Disaster with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
|
|
MAMA'S APPROVAL
|
The overuse of the word G-d**n (particularly by Vince Vaughn) would likely set mama's ears on fire. Seriously, is
it really necessary to use it 20-30 times? There's also one "f" bomb.
There's some sexual content, including about a 5-second shot of Jen's naked butt as she's walking around the condo
trying to get Vince's attention (an extension of the scene from the trailer).
|
|
TRAILER COMPARISON
|
The trailer could be a little misleading for some. I think I've made it clear that you should not let the trailer
convince you that this is an old-fashioned romantic comedy.
|
|
THE GIST
|
The Break-Up might not the romantic comedy that some moviegoers are hoping for, but in a year that has
inflicted us with such "comedies" as Date Movie and
Scary Movie 4, this one actually offers some legitimate, realistic laughs
to go along with a healthy dose of dramatic conflict.
|
|
