MOVIE OF THE WEEK (4/27/2012): THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT
"I star on a TV show that's all about this moment, girl – I got this!!" Thomas (Jason Segal) gets down on bended knee in front of Violet (Emily Blunt) to begin what could just be THE FIVE YEAR ENGAGEMENT. Credit: Glen Wilson © 2012 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Rhys Ifans, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Mindy Kaling, Randall Park and Kevin Hart
WRITER(S): Nicolas Stoller and Jason Segel (screenplay)
DIRECTOR: Nicolas Stoller
THE PLOT: Co-written by and featuring the directing/acting talents of Jason Segel and Nicolas Stoller (the duo behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and produced by Judd Apatow, The Five Year Engagement centers around a young couple. Tom (Segel) is a chef living in San Francisco, the very same city where 1 year ago he met Violet (Emily Blunt), a native of England, at a superhero-themed New Year's Eve party. Enjoying a whirlwind romance, the duo ends up getting engaged, preparing for a lifetime of martial bliss together.
That is, if they ever actually can get to the altar.
You see, a variety of things just seem to get in the way of the happy couple getting to actually saying their nuptials – be it the wacky lives of Tom's best friend and fellow chef Alex (Chris Pratt) or Violet's sister Suzie (Alison Brie), Violet's new career opportunity at the University of Michigan working under Winston (Rhys Ifans) or the wacky thoughts her new co-workers Ming (Randall Park), Doug (Kevin Hart) or Vaneetha (Mindy Kaling) – something always seems to come up to stop them.
But could what really be what's stopping Violet and Tom be something else? Will they ever actually make the walk down that aisle? Cue the title card!
That is, if they ever actually can get to the altar.
You see, a variety of things just seem to get in the way of the happy couple getting to actually saying their nuptials – be it the wacky lives of Tom's best friend and fellow chef Alex (Chris Pratt) or Violet's sister Suzie (Alison Brie), Violet's new career opportunity at the University of Michigan working under Winston (Rhys Ifans) or the wacky thoughts her new co-workers Ming (Randall Park), Doug (Kevin Hart) or Vaneetha (Mindy Kaling) – something always seems to come up to stop them.
But could what really be what's stopping Violet and Tom be something else? Will they ever actually make the walk down that aisle? Cue the title card!
THE TAKE: Given the successful and ribald nature of their previous collaboration, one might expect The Five Year Engagement to be outrageous, full of inappropriate behavior and, in the end, sweet. Surprisingly enough, Engagement is more of the latter of those three options than the first two. Don't get me wrong, it's not that the movie isn't funny; it's just that given the filmmakers pedigree, it's just that the film is just not as hilarious as you imagine it could be.
I really don't have too much more to say about Engagement than that. For the acting isn't really an issue; with the film being an Apatow-produced affair, you should already know what you're getting comedy-wise: A lot of jokes that fall into the "immature adult being forced to finally grow up" category mixed with some clever wordplay. Don't get me wrong, the comedy is not stale by any means ... It's just that the film – save for one great sequence featuring interplay between Blunt and Brie – lets the jokes fall in where they may as opposed to always being focused on making you laugh at every turn.
Instead, the film focuses more on its characters and their journey, which in turn makes for a nice overall viewing experience. You won't leave the theater using words like "hilarious," "raucous" or "silly;" you will, however, be inclined to describe it as being "nice," "cute" or "enjoyable." And that might be a nice change of pace every once in a while ...
I really don't have too much more to say about Engagement than that. For the acting isn't really an issue; with the film being an Apatow-produced affair, you should already know what you're getting comedy-wise: A lot of jokes that fall into the "immature adult being forced to finally grow up" category mixed with some clever wordplay. Don't get me wrong, the comedy is not stale by any means ... It's just that the film – save for one great sequence featuring interplay between Blunt and Brie – lets the jokes fall in where they may as opposed to always being focused on making you laugh at every turn.
Instead, the film focuses more on its characters and their journey, which in turn makes for a nice overall viewing experience. You won't leave the theater using words like "hilarious," "raucous" or "silly;" you will, however, be inclined to describe it as being "nice," "cute" or "enjoyable." And that might be a nice change of pace every once in a while ...
PARTING SHOT: A film that's more pleasant and nice than it is funny or groundbreaking, The Five Year Engagement is like a lot of successful relationships: Filled with highs and lows before eventually settling into a groove that carries it well into the future without growing so old it's not enjoyable.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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