Review of The Break-Up (2006) by Alice S — 03 Jan 2012

I like when a movie is titled The Break-Up and people actually BREAK UP! Oops. Spoiler alert. And how nice to see Peter Billingsley's doughy face again from A Christmas Story :~).

This isn't a sappy-happy romantic revenge comedy despite its marketing. The semantic misunderstandings between Martians and Venusians are presented realistically in all the arguments, especially the first one that seems to be about lemons, dishes, and ballet but isn't really about lemons, dishes, and ballet. Gary and Brooke actually scream at each other and go through a lot of shenanigans trying to get back together, only to realize the love is gone. No one side is over-demonized, and the long argument scenes filmed with a handheld camera are a refreshing change from the usual joke-laced fights that last for two on-screen minutes.

Kudos to effective exposition disguised as a cheesy, opening credit montage accompanied by Queen's "You're My Best Friend." I dig the photos with bad framing and 3/4 views because it must take a lot of work to be so perfectly candid.