break-up

AC/AL 2006 105m Eng 52m
BN/MV

CAST: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Jon Favreau, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jason Bateman, Judy Davis, Joey Lauren Adams, Cole Hauser, John Michael Higgins, Ann-Margret, Peter Billingsley & Justin Long

CREDITS: Director: Peyton Reed; Producers: Vince Vaughn/Scott Stuber; Screenwriters: Jeremy Garelick/Jay Lavender; Story by: Vince Vaughn/Jeremy Garelick/Jay Lavender; Director of Photography: Eric Edwards; Production Designer: Andrew Laws; Editors: David Rosenbloom/Dan Lebental; Costume Designer: Carol Oditz; Music: Jon Brion

THE SYNOPSIS

Chicago. Gary Grabowski (Vaughn) is a typical guy. It’s a nice day and he’s hanging out at the ballpark with his best friend Johnny O (Favreau). Things will change when he spots a beautiful young woman down his row. Said woman, Brooke Meyers (Aniston), is enjoying the game with some preppie geek but keeps eyeing Gary.

Gary’s working to build his sightseeing empire that he runs with his anal older brother Dennis (D’Onofrio) and hound-dog younger brother Lupus (Hauser) while Brooke manages a chic art gallery owned by frosty Marilyn Dean (Davis) and assisted by flamboyant Christopher (Long).

Two years later, problems simmer on the homefront--where Gary & Brooke co-own a gorgeous condo. Gary, being a macho he-man, does not put enough into the relationship and Brooke has had it. Things blow up after an evening dinner party with their respective families and the couple splits up.

Naturally, neither party is moving out! So begins an amusing battlle-of-the-sexes where many things happen to both parties. Like where Gary is voted off of their couple’s bowling team by Brooke, her best friend Addie (Adams), Addie’s “domesticated” husband Andrew (Billingsley) and the rest of the team.

And when Brooke’s ambiguously gay brother Richard (Higgins) kicks Gary’s ass after Gary tries to eject him and his a capella troupe out of Brooke’s room. Or when Gary invites strippers to his weekly poker game. How about when Gary brings in a huge pool table into the apartment (something he’s always wanted). To get back at him, Brooke starts dating other men--but they all wash out.

And so it goes, back-and-forth. Will these two people, who obviously do love each other, work it out? Or will breaking up be the beginning of something new? Either way, the condo goes for sale and their real estate agent/friend Riggleman (Bateman) gets the commission--although he doesn’t want to take it (but he must!).

THE CRITIQUE

Well, whoever said “All’s fair in Love & War” wasn’t kidding! THE BREAK-UP is one of those films that benefits from a good cast, an amusing premise and decent, if not spectacular, direction. So why does the movie fail to bring all of these elements together?

Mayhaps it may be the two leads, who generated more chemistry in the tabloids than on-screen. The usually-likable Vaughn comes off like a total guy in this movie--which is fine, but his Gary character is a total selfish prick! (And yes, although Vaughn played a similar character in last year’s Wedding Crashers, here he’s teamed up with Jennifer Aniston--who’s much hotter than Owen Wilson!)

The script by first-time scribes Jeremy Garelick & Jay Lavender (and co-developed by producer/star Vince Vaughn himself) is a bit short on substance. Since we really don’t care about these people, their break-up strife is not empathized by us viewers.

Slightly better is Peyton Reed’s assured direction in this genre, as evidenced by his solid debut in 2000’s Bring It On and following it up with the enjoyable ’50s-style romantic comedy Down With Love.

Other tech credits are respectable; such as the cheery cinematography by Eric Edwards (Crossroads/Clay Pigeons/Cop Land)--who makes Jennifer Ansiton and her hair radiant in every shot she’s in. Also worthy of mention is the production design by Andrew Laws (Bring It On/Down With Love/Derailed/Along Came Polly)--who recreated an apartment set-up, complete with Chicago skyline cyclorama--based on a real condo in Chicago.

THE BOTTOM LINE

All in all, an amusing movie that doesn’t bring everything it should to the table. However, special mention must go to actors John Michael Higgins, Justin Long and Jon Favreau--all of whom add some spice to this mediocre stew.