Director: Peter Billingsley
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Malin Ackerman
Screenwriter: Vince Vaughn, John Favreau, Dana Fox
Running Time: 107 min
Rating: M15+
YOU WILL ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE BUT WON'T RUSH BACK FOR ANOTHER BOOKING!
You may feel a certain dejavue upon viewing a preview for Couples Retreat. Vince Vaughn is playing, well, Vince Vaughn-a charmingly quick witted slacker who doesn't appreciate his beautiful partner or their lifestyle. His best friend is John Favreau playing, well, John Favreau. Add in a host of fish out of water situations, some wise cracks and a lesson learned and you basically have the formula for the last five Vaughn Romcoms. Couples Retreat is slightly elevated from usual fare however, thanks in most part to a stellar ensemble cast.
In a desperate attempt to save their marriage Jason and Cynthia (Bateman and Bell) decide to enrol in a Couples Retreat. In order to receive a discount they convince their friends Dave and Ronnie (Vaughn and Ackerman) and Joey and Lucy (Favreau and Davis) to accompany them. Believing that the trip will be all fun in the sun, the group are chagrin to discover that they must participate in couples therapy or leave. Almost immediately each couple soon begin to discover that their relationships are not as strong as they thought.
Couples Retreat does not deserve the critical mauling it has received. It's almost as though critics have been struck with a case of sour grapes. After all Vaughn and Favreau have written a script that has allowed them to go to a tropical paradise with their best friends, surrounded by beautiful women. This is hardly justification for labelling it the worst film of the year! Fame 2009 anyone?Anyone?
Couples retreat is far from flawless. The first half of the film succeeds well in holding interest as we too are eager to view what awaits for our couples on this tropical paradise. However once we are are there and the initial awe of the lush green fauna and sparkling blue water have worn of, we-like our couples-must accept that what comes next is not so good. The second half seems to drag on aimlessly until you find yourself wondering what the actual point of the last half hour has been. The ending is also so contrived that you can't help but thinking Vaughn, Favreau and Fox just pulled it out of their backsides so that they could go back to sun baking.
The film also suffers from the fact that the female characters are far more underdeveloped than their male counterparts. Ackerman comes across as bland while Bell is your stereotypical neurotic and Davis desperately tries to shake of her good girl image as the lustful housewife. The actresses are just not given the chance to showcase their full potential, making it clear that their main purpose in the film is to look pretty.
The men come of far better. Even though Vince Vaughn is doing his usual shtick, he's so gosh darn likable you just can't begrudge him for it. Bateman turns in his best performance since his Arrested Development days, bucking his usual habit of sleepwalking through his roles. Favreau manages to make his very unsympathetic jock character likable and Faizon Love turns in a genuinely hart warming performance as the well intentioned Shane.
Vaughn regular John Michael Higgins and cult comedian Ken Jeong deliver hilarious cameos as councilors with Carlos Ponce receiving some of the films most cringe worthy laughs as Salvadore, a sex addicted Yoga instructor. Not faring so well is Jean Reno as retreat instructor Marcel. He seems miscast and his lines fall flat.
But the film does try to make some meaningful statements about relationships e.g the grass is not always greener, it is better to be with someone than alone. It also teaches us that average looking guys always have super hot girlfriends and that all women are size two with ripped abs.
Despite it's flaws, there is also much to like. A stellar cast, beautiful locations, hot bodies (if your a guy) and yes even a few laughs! Couples Retreat never pretends to be anything more than what it is-A highly enjoyable, if rather forgettable Romcom perfect for a date night. Three out of five stars.
***
By Catherine Brown
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