Review of The Break-Up (2006) by Jake D — 16 Jul 2010

Irish wakes can be great fun...unless you thought that you were going to a bachelor party. Serio-comedies work best when the audience feels guilty for laughing at circumstances that are wholly serious. For the best of this bunch in the last 30 years, see Manhattan, Tootsie, and Lost in Translation. With The Break-Up, the audience feels guilty for NOT laughing...mostly because the movie was not supposed to be a serio-comedy. The menu, after all, had prepared us for ample servings of funny. The true dish, however, is served more serious than we like our straight comedies to be cooked. This is not to say that the movie falls flat on its face. In fact, The Break-Up works superbly when it does have a sense of humor. Unfortunately, the trailer features these few moments prominently, leaving no new laughs.

In this R-rated supposed romantic comedy, a couple (Vaughn, Aniston) suddenly find themselves on the outs, but still share the same condo.

This whole affair is a shame really, because Vaughn and Aniston actually have a real chemistry, as do their outstanding supporting cast (Jon Favreau, Peter Billingsley--the Red Ryder BB-gun kid!!!). In the last few years, the one fallback of an otherwise winning comedy has been its long running time (Something's Gotta Give, The Wedding Crashers). Initially, The Break-Up seemed to ascribe to this dictum, but a check of the ole wristwatch indicated otherwise. Blame it on the pointedly brutal material, which brings a light mood down and just makes the experience feel excruciatingly longer.

Bottom Line: As fun as a divorce.