The Break-Up
“The Break-Up” has every right to be one of the most easily predictable movies of the summer because of its genre. Surprisingly, it’s not. Within a romantic comedy, the audience is generally given certain boundaries in which the film will take place. Typically, these boundaries are what romantic comedy audiences take for granted. In some cases, this is done too often. Thankfully, “The Break-Up” understands and even manipulates these conventions. In this case, “The Break-Up” is not a “chick flick,” but is a comedy built on big ideas that are not normally explored in a typical romantic comedy.
Appropriately dubbed in its trailers as an “Ex-Rated Comedy,” “The Break-Up” follows the every-day story of a man and a woman going through exactly what its title suggests. Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) is a determined and successful art saleswoman in the city of Chicago while Gary (Vince Vaughn) is a somewhat lazy, but happy tour bus driver who is perfectly content in making his way through life the way he wants to. This is inevitably where the relationship goes awry. The personality differences of Gary and Brooke slowly push them over the edge to more catastrophic fights and arguments. Angry arguments turns into an all-out tug-of-war where emotions, hate, changes of heart, and downright outrageous retaliations in which the characters discover more about eachother. For this reason, “The Break-Up” is not about breaking up and getting a likable couple back together. It is more about the natural instincts of the opposite sex, the changes that take place within a person’s life, and what it takes to understand each other while struggling through a relationship crisis.
Even during her non-stop tabloid run, Jennifer Aniston signifies her status as America’s sweetheart. Her lovable and energetic performance gives audiences a perfect opposite for the more defiant and rapid-fire comedic energy of Vince Vaughn. The opposites of their characters and their status as two likable Hollywood stars is what makes the chemistry between Vaughn and Aniston sparkle. With proof from her performance in “The Good Girl,” the doors have opened for Jennifer to develop the Oscar winning performances she is capable of delivering.
“The Break-Up” maintains all the elements of friendship and relationships. Even the delightful performance from Jon Favreau, as Johnny, is a source of friendship for Gary and a source of comedic relief during the films darker moments. This film hits all the highs and lows of a break-up while keeping it to the point, realistically portrayed, and wholesomely hysterical.
Forever has the movie going public been implanted with the idea of what a romantic comedy should look like. Romantic comedies have always been plagued with the same type of characters, similar situations, recurring emotions, and easily predictable outcomes. “The Break-Up” is a movie that finally breaks up the normal rules and does something new. Its success, however, will be determined by the audience. What may look like an empty ending, leaving viewers wanting more, the ending is, in fact, a well designed and deeply meaningful recollection that urges audiences to use their imaginations and re-discover the reasons we see movies in the first place.
The Break-Up
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, some nudity and language
Runtime: 106 min.
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau
Directed by Peyton Reed
