Movie Notes: The Break-Up
= 1 star
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn
Directed by Peyton Reed
Synopsis
Co-habitating couple Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) and Gary (Vince Vaughn) decide to break up, but neither wants to move out of their Chicago condo. Hilarity ensues.
The Good
- Aniston is solidly believable portraying Brooke’s simultaneous frustration and compassion for crass and immature Gary (Vaughn).
The Bad
- I’m increasingly less amused by the wisecracking, man-child Vaughn portrays in all his movies. He and Aniston seemed to be in different movies altogether, which only made me root for their separation.
- The cadre of misfit supporting characters aren’t funny enough. John Michael Higgins, a standby of Christopher Guest mockumentaries leads an excruciatingly un-funny sing along to Owner of a Lonely Heart. Also shamefully wasted are Jason Bateman, Joey Lauren Adams, and Judy Davis.
- Never finds balance between dark and light humor.
Conclusion
Two people slowly realize over the course of two excruciating hours what is painfully obvious from the first scene – some couples are better off apart. Skip it.
“The Break-up” Movie makes me remind something that happens in real life, hehe it’s a nice movie and the cast was very supportive… and they got 2 awards and 5 nominations…
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This movie was just awkward and painful to watch. It was almost exactly like having 2 real friends going through a messy split-up, only with this movie, you have to witness all of the bitter, nasty, petty behaviors during the relationship's end rather than just hear about them second-hand.
I like Vince Vaughn – although he has become something of a one-trick pony – and really like Jennifer Aniston, but I'd never endure this movie again.
Yeah… I found Vaughn funny enough in that holiday movie (Four Christmases) but not enough to warrant dropping ten bucks for Couples Retreat in the theater.
Really liked Aniston in The Good Girl and Friends With Money; such a contrast to see her bored out of her mind in Marley And Me. I've got “Management” in the queue but don't have my hopes up.
Ugh. Just watched “Management.” Disappointing.