The Break-Up

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Anniston, Jon Favreau, Peter Billingsley, Joey Lauren Adams, Vincent D' Onofrio and oh so many others...
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Retro-Vince Vaughn Interview

Bluntly speaking? The Break-Up is brutally honest and often hilarious, in a winking stinging way. Well written and superbly driven by a warm and talented cast, The Break-Up is ultimately a big budget indy film – and not a slapstick broad comedy as the ads would have you think...

And, no wonder Ms. Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn became un par en amor - their chemistry, and timing is superb.

Story goes… Gary (Vince Vaughn) and Brooke (Jennifer Anniston) have come to a crossroads in their two year old relationship. The two are well past the rabid rhesus monkey sex section of their union, and have moved into the flatter-free flannels and football watching pins and needles chapter where continual cacophony fills the faux finished abode and verbal swashbuckling, with a pinch of emotional warfare blossoms within the routine, until its too late for make up sex and a tall stack of pancakes in the morn.

Now the awkward journey of the disintegrating duo begins. These two own property together…and neither is too interested in the equity growth. It’s gonna get bumpy.

The Break-Up is very funny. It’s also – at times – hard to watch as two people so right, go so wrong, and sabotage each other, and sadly drift away. If it were not for a heavy handed helping of humor delivered by a continually smile inducing cast, one may have a post viewing cry deep into a designer bottle of vodka in recalling their own break-up.

Those of you into Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn’s short hand ballet of banter ala Swingers, Made and so forth, will be tickled to tears, as Fav and Double V do what they do. In fact the nouveau Hollywood sweetheart Vaughn seems to have invited many of the old “gang” to enjoy in the spoils of stardom! Bravo. Ya know this tall slice-o-manyum is a BluntReview.com fave since his killer cowboy show in Clay Pigeons. Speaking of faves…Vincent D’ Onofrio shows as “Gary’s” brother, in another of his wildly entertaining character creations. And Judy Davis serves up an urban foo-foo ice queen for your giggle gland.

Jennifer Anniston, ever bubbly, is wonderful. She really seems to radiate here. Her acting post 'Friends' is simply getting richer each time she shows, or perhaps I find her less annoying without the perky laugh-tracked posse. Plus Ms. A. apparently has a great sense of humor…here her wink-n-homage to her uncle, “Kojack,” is extremely brave on many levels. I have a whole new respect for her.

Bottom line? The Break-Up is very funny, very well written and unexpectedly mature – but because it is so truthful, it gets – frankly – hard to watch, and seems a bit long in-the-tooth, but that’s probably because it starts off so rip roaringly funny with signature Vaughnisms flying. But, then "Gary and Brooke" start to break up and you’re there through it – and it seems to halt to real-time. That being said, there’s a helluva list of worse ways to bide the balmy eve away then watching a sixty-foot Vince Vaughn parading about in Technicolor. Yes indeedy.

Snack recommendation: Bobchka’s drachena and pierogi, mit sour creme und Vaughnka martinis.