the movieGOOMBA

2 GOOMBAS

The highly anticipated film, The Break Up, was not highly anticipated by me, and I after watching, I realized that my first instincts existed for a reason. The Break Up stars Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, two actors who are currently dating in real life, so the masses assumed that by watching this film, they would be able to catch a glimpse of their real life, off camera relationship. I was already turned off by the shallow grounds this movie's hype was based off of, and it was for this reason that it took me so long to watch. I found that I really didn't miss much from waiting.

This movie had so much potential, but it was ruined by a confused tone and an inappropriate placement of humor. As its title reveals, The Break Up is about a break up. Brooke and Gary's relationship is presented in a clean nutshell, also known as a three minute montage of photographs taken during the happier moments of their relationship, at the beginning of the film. The story then continues into a generic fight that is almost always depicted in any primetime, family sitcom. Brooke and Gary have both worked a full day. Brooke comes home and starts to clean and cook for dinner guests that are about to arrive. Garry comes home and automatically turns on the TV. Brooke gets upset because he isn't helping her, but instead of explaining what the true reason for her frustration is (she feels unappreciated and unsupported), she nags him about how he is lazy, incompetent, and selfish. All he hears is her anal retentive, bossiness. They break up.

Because they own a condo together, both refuse to give in and move out. The movie attempts to add a comical flair to the given situation. In the beginning, both actually do not want to break up, but actually say anything. They do everything in their power to annoy each other, and the whole time, I'm sitting there saying, "Are you people two years old?!" Both are passive aggressive and cause each other frustration through situations that are normal enough to be true but are twisted to become so absurd that its humor is lost.

The only salvation for this movie was its ending, and it was then that I realized that the writers were just confused with how they wanted this story told. At first glance, the movie acts as a comedy, but it was really meant to be a drama. The tone begins seriously and ends seriously. It's the middle, 'comical' parts that confuse because you're sitting there watching Brooke's flaming gay brother bring his acapella group to their apartment for rehearsal early in the morning to wake up Gary from his hangover and ask yourself "Why is this necessary?" It isn't. Its purpose is only to show how bitter and passive aggressive break ups make people act. The kind of humor presented was inappropriate for kind of story the writers were trying to tell.

Breaks ups begin with a fight, continue into a brewing bitterness and resentment, and usually end with a civil respect for one another, and The Break Up captures all of these aspects, making it a bearable film. However, it fails to portray these aspects in polished, well thought out script, and for these reasons, this film fails in my eyes. Break ups are bad, and this one sucked.