The Break Up Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)May 31st, 2006
THE BREAK-UP
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
There's something missing in Gary and Brooke's relationship, and it isn't just their complete lack of common interests or their different personality types. They are opposites who, rather than being attracted, spend most of their waking moments repelling each other, even if deep down they are -- supposedly -- quite in love.
THE BREAK-UP, directed by Peyton Reed (DOWN WITH LOVE and BRING IT ON), is a movie missing something too. But it's not star power. The film features Vince Vaughn, fresh off of his smash success in comedies like THE WEDDING CRASHERS, and Jennifer Aniston, not so fresh off of her wildly popular "Friends" television series. She has yet to prove that she can carry a movie, but she supports those around her quite well. Vaughn, playing his usual motormouth of a lovable slob, chews up the scenery and sucks the air out of the rooms, so that a supporting cast is relatively superfluous.
What seems missing in this movie about Gary (Vaughn) and Brooke's (Aniston) break-up is actually hard to figure out. A sometimes entertaining film, with many nice but small laughs, it just never seems to gel quite right. Although, as every celebrity magazine keeps reminding us, these two stars are an item in real life (which they refuse to admit or discuss), the movie never convinces us that they really care for each other.
We do come to believe that Gary loves his job as a Chicago tour bus operator. He has a ball hamming it up in front of the tourists. The high point of his day is clearly when he gets his busload of vacationers to scream at the top of their lungs on queue with him. We also buy that he is happily addicted to video games, especially violent ones like Grand Theft Auto, and to his beloved Cubs. A self-centered guy, he wants to come home and unwind while the little woman cleans and cooks.
Less convincing is Brooke's career in a high-end art gallery. She seems to be just going through the motions at work and at home.
Of course, the two of them have completely different families as well, which we learn at a funny family dinner party. Brooke's family is intellectual and artistic, while Gary's Polish brood has pure working roots.
If we could believe that Gary and Brooke cared for each other more, their fighting and bickering would have delivered a lot more punch. When the script should be getting big laughs, instead all the audience can muster are lots of small snickers.
As the story winds down, the interest does pick up. How will it end? Will the film dare not give us our requisite happy -- or at least semi-happy -- ending that is probably in every studio contract? The answer, not surprisingly, is that the ending tries to have it just a bit of both ways, which again is something of a cheat. On the whole, THE BREAK-UP is just a missed opportunity.
THE BREAK-UP runs a little long at 1:46. It is rated PG-13 for "sexual content, some nudity and language" and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, June 2, 2006. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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