I can't take credit for the summary name, that came from a friend, but there cannot be a more appropriate subject for these comments.
This film is a collection of some well-delivered funny jokes surrounded in a quagmire of contrived fights, dreary supporting characters, and a series of unrealistic decisions.
Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are both charismatic in their performances, but the screenplay diverts their personas to those of rather ugly people (especially Aniston).
The fights are started by the standard rom-com arguments that the man doesn't understand what the woman wants, and that he is too insensitive to her needs. The trigger of the argument is ridiculous. Vince forgets the number of lemons she wants for a table centerpiece, and for this atrocious reason, Aniston says we need to break up. Fights ensue where they play their friends against each other, while secretly confiding to their friends that they want each other back. Both use other people to make the other feel worse, and their friends provide absolutely horrid advice until it's over, and then the friends say how they should have been more understanding of their partner.
Notice I use the actor's names, one facet I could not ignore was that I never differentiated the stars from their parts. The supporting characters, in general, were awful. Even Vincent D'Onofrio (one of my favorite actors). Cole Hauser was rather funny, but whoever played the owner of the art gallery, as well as the receptionist, were miscast and not needed.
In short, save your time, the jokes, though funny, are not worth the incredibly slow third act that had a tacked-on denouement (try typing that word) to satisfy the test audiences.
6/10 stars, and that's only for Favreau's funny asides.
This film is a collection of some well-delivered funny jokes surrounded in a quagmire of contrived fights, dreary supporting characters, and a series of unrealistic decisions.
Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are both charismatic in their performances, but the screenplay diverts their personas to those of rather ugly people (especially Aniston).
The fights are started by the standard rom-com arguments that the man doesn't understand what the woman wants, and that he is too insensitive to her needs. The trigger of the argument is ridiculous. Vince forgets the number of lemons she wants for a table centerpiece, and for this atrocious reason, Aniston says we need to break up. Fights ensue where they play their friends against each other, while secretly confiding to their friends that they want each other back. Both use other people to make the other feel worse, and their friends provide absolutely horrid advice until it's over, and then the friends say how they should have been more understanding of their partner.
Notice I use the actor's names, one facet I could not ignore was that I never differentiated the stars from their parts. The supporting characters, in general, were awful. Even Vincent D'Onofrio (one of my favorite actors). Cole Hauser was rather funny, but whoever played the owner of the art gallery, as well as the receptionist, were miscast and not needed.
In short, save your time, the jokes, though funny, are not worth the incredibly slow third act that had a tacked-on denouement (try typing that word) to satisfy the test audiences.
6/10 stars, and that's only for Favreau's funny asides.
