Couples Retreat

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Kali Hawk, Tasha Smith, Jean Reno
Directed by: Peter Billingsley
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Four couples (Vince Vaughn-Malin Akerman, Jon Favreau-Kristin Davis, Jason Bateman-Kristen Bell, and Faizon Love-Kali Hawk) decide to go away together to a tropical island, but once there, they find that they must partake in couples therapy, which brings up some long dormant issues.

Review:

Tim: I am not entirely sure why Couples Retreat doesn't work (oh, but I have some ideas). The idea isn't spectacular, but a perfect set-up for a comedy. Plus, the assembled cast is an impressive one. I liked most of the choices, and the actors all worked well together. There are also some very funny moments sprinkled throughout the film. The biggest problem is actually the script itself, written by the very capable Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau. The story is hard to believe because there are some ridiculous moments, gigantic plot holes, and convenient turn of events which defy all logic, but nicely move the story along (the biggest problem- the kids conveniently overhearing a discussion, understanding the ramifications, and calling the grandfather so their parents could go on the trip. Come on.). These moments sink this already lightweight comedy. I won't say this is a complete failure, but it is most certainly not a success, either.

As I mentioned, the cast was mostly good. I always enjoy seeing Vince Vaughn do his Vince-Vaughn-thing, even when I know I shouldn't. I have seen this show before, but I can't help but be entertained by his stammering, childish antics. I like that he got to play a more grown up version of himself here. I also liked pairing him with Malin Akerman. I have been more and more impressed with her the last few years, and I really believe she has the ability to become a major star. I thought Vaughn and Akerman worked well together, and they were my favorite couple of the film. Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis were fine, but their characters were not as fully developed and occasionally felt too over-the-top. I wish both of them had shown a little restraint and not tried too hard to be funny. I always say how I dislike Jason Bateman, and that was true here, too (although he did have perhaps the film's funniest line about Vaughn's son). At first, I didn't see the Bateman-Kristen Bell pairing, but they actually worked together better than I expected. I am tempted to give the lion's share of the credit to Bell, but who knows. I wasn't as big of a fan of Faizon Love and Kali Hawk. They were the most annoying and out-of-place couple, and seemed to be almost an after thought.

I also wanted to mention the brilliant casting of Jean Reno as the New Age director of the resort. Reno is a fantastic actor, and I loved seeing him get the chance to be funny. It was a bit of an odd casting, but I think that is why it worked so well. I wish the rest of the supporting cast had been better chosen- everyone else is entirely forgettable.

I really think there is something about setting a comedy in a tropical, exotic location that helps the movie. It certainly worked for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and it somewhat worked here. I loved the locations and the landscape shots. It really is a truly beautiful place, and even when the story failed us, the setting was pretty amazing to watch.

Besides a few hilarious moments, this movie is surprisingly unfunny, as so many of the jokes miss the mark. I could forgive this to quite an extent, but the story is so weak and poorly written that I spent the bulk of the movie trying to convince myself to go along with the absurd, silly plot that wasn't even close to being rooted in reality. The events of this film asked the audience to completely shut off their brains, and I simply couldn't do it. I can suspend disbelief to a great extent, but I refuse to do it to cover up sloppy writing and massive plot holes. That was the downfall of this movie.

Couples Retreat was a great idea that simply fell apart on the execution. I know I am being generous and kind when I say that I didn't hate this movie, and I somewhat reluctantly admit I was occasionally entertained. However, this movie should have been so much better, and there is just not enough to get excited about here. Comedy is a tough genre, and this failure further proves that point.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Swingers, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Ex, The Break-Up, Four Christmases