The Break-Up (2006) User Reviews

Not quite how the trailers sold it

[JoeJames76 · 7/10 · 24 January 2007]

It is extremely frustrating when a studio deceives you by selling a film as something it is not. The Break-Up is NOT a laugh a minute comedy of he said/she said. It is not the playful battle of the sexes so guiltily enjoyed in Peyton Reed's previous film Down With Love. It is, however, an enjoyable (that's perhaps not the right word) take on the part of a relationship we rarely see in an otherwise romantic comedy.

Centering a film on the ugly side of dating is a risky task, which is why it is understandable that the studio would try to sell the "hilarity" of incompatibility. Yet by doing so, the film's trailer really sells short the strength that this film has as a dramatic rendering of an adult relationship gone sour.

Vaughn and Aniston give strong, believable performances as a couple in crisis. Their attraction and chemistry is right, in that you can see these two hooking up, but not exactly hitching up. Neither one deserves the other, as both display their worst faults as their relationship devolves. A strong supporting cast plays their pals caught in the crossfire, with some funny results and some ridiculous mugging at times. Reed does a fine job of hitting the right notes, though the jump between comedy and drama can be a little jarring.

The film tries to realistically deal with a couple's break-up, yet finds truth in the dialogue more often than it does in the actions of its characters. Some honest reactions spill forth from the mouths of the hurt, confused couple dealing with their emotions, but their over-the-top responses by way of making grand purchases and throwing away their hard earned lives and bodies at a whim seem less real and more made in Hollywood.

Still, in the end, without the misleading theatrical trailer and real life romance (and prior break-ups) of the two leads, the film is convincing and entertaining. Just expect a lot more screaming than laughing.

Grade: B

Surprising!

[Empifilmes · 6/10 · 10 June 2022]

This movie exceeded my expectations. Judging by the Cast I thought it would be just another comedian romance. Turned out I was wrong. I'm not saying the movie is great, but it hits differently than the rest. Unlike most of its genre, it is unpredictable and moving, as the massage the film is trying to transmit is important. Through comedy, emotion and expectation, the film manages to take you on a ride of emotions and laughs that really is a war of genres.

Of course the story has problems and some things don't make sense but I think it's ok because I don't look for such things in these kind of movies.

If you want to spend a good hour and a half I recommend you watch it because it will keep you entertained the entire time.

Decent romantic comedy/drama

[lkl6411 · 7/10 · 3 June 2006]

My husband and I went to see this film on its opening night and weren't surprised to see a full theatre.

The movie has its hilarious moments which are interspersed with plenty of uncomfortable, tense arguments as these 2 people who love one another try to one-up each other in the payback mode for the pain in their relationship.

My husband thought it dragged from the middle on a little, although I didn't.

We both left thinking the movie was really funny in some parts, pretty sad and even tragic in others. Overall, we thought the acting was solid & believable and though the ending wasn't expected, it was real and even hopeful.

We both said it was worth seeing, and if you're looking for a fairly real-life view of the life of a struggling relationship, you'll be glad you saw this film.

I left the theatre feeling a little empty, but glad that in real life, these two are together!! Enjoy!

Not your conventional romantic comedy - and that's a good thing

[TheMovieMark · 7/10 · 2 June 2006]

As mama used to say, "The extent of the nourishment you get from your entertainment water is directly related to how deep your well of expectations runs." I always thought mama was a bit too verbose in her metaphorical philosophizing, but there's truth in them there words! Thanks to Hollywood's constant desire to market films based on what they feel they have to trick people into thinking they're about, some audiences will likely go to see The Break-Up, ignore the insinuations of the movie's title, and expect something cute and fluffy. As such, the movie is unfairly saddled with expectations that it can't possibly meet for no other reason than the simple fact that this is NOT a conventional "chick flick" romantic comedy that will warm those little heart cockles and send you floating out of the theater on a cotton candy cloud. After a chance meeting at a Cubs/White Sox baseball game, an "opening credit relationship photo montage" creatively establishes that Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn are a couple. Just not for much longer. You see, Jennifer is busy cooking for a family dinner. Vince's only responsibility is to bring home 12 lemons so that she can create a centerpiece for the dinner table. So what does he do? Brings home three. Jen's understandably agitated. Rather than dutifully go get the extra lemons, Vince tries to find alternatives that will allow him to just sit on the couch and play video games until everybody arrives. Perhaps use the lemons to flavor the chicken since he tasted it and thought it was a little too spicy anyway? Maybe place them in a glass and create a smaller centerpiece? Yeah, it's fairly clear which three letters he puts in "class." This leads to his lack of desire to help with the dishes later that evening. Oh, he'll help with them in the morning, but Jen really wants them done tonight. Fifteen minutes of work won't kill the guy, right? When Jen expresses her disdain for the lack of appreciation he shows her, he goes into a character-exposing rant and declares his desire to just be left alone. Jen's had enough and decides to grant him his wish. Commence with the break-up and the emotional tug-of-war that carries the majority of the movie. This is where some audiences might get lost. Why? Probably because it feels so real, and sometimes reality doesn't always sell. People still love fairy tales, you know? The arguments and hard-feelings that slowly develop will likely hit home with anybody who has gone through a break up, and I have no doubt that many, if not most, guys will fill a little discomfort when they see some of themselves in Vince. The thing I appreciated the most is despite his penchant for being a jerk, Vince isn't adorned with a black hat and presented to us for our jeering. It's just the way he is. He likes doing things his way. He treats his friends and brothers in the same manner, but they still love the guy and like hanging out with him; he just needs to learn to accept doing things he might not want to for the people he loves. He's likable and funny enough that we root for him to learn the lesson. Likewise, Jennifer isn't placed on a pedestal with a golden halo on her head. Though she's the more sympathetic of the two, she still resorts to playing dirty and isn't allowed to come off completely innocent. Perhaps the character flaws won't play well with the "give me idealistic characters!" crowd, but I found them refreshingly realistic. The movie's focal point is the often volatile chemistry between Vince and Jennifer, which I thought was great, but the supporting characters are also very effective, albeit underused. Vince has some show-stealing scenes with Jason Bateman and particularly one with Jon Favreau (and his ever-increasing girth) that are so good that you can't help but be disappointed that there aren't more to savor. Speaking of disappointment, go ahead and prepare yourself for the potential of more as the closing credits begin to scroll. I admit that I wanted a little more closure than I was given, and that seemed to be the audience consensus. I suppose we should admire the screenwriters for sticking by their guns and refusing to tie all the loose ends as tightly as test audiences have demanded, but that doesn't mean we have to be happy about it. I could have handled it better had it not felt so abrupt and left me feeling a little incomplete. But it certainly doesn't ruin the movie. You just need to check your expectations and give the film a fair chance. Don't be a pawn of the marketing team's efforts to mislead audiences into the door. If you're a Vince fan I would also advise you not to expect the Johnny Jump-Up zaniness of The Wedding Crashers or Dodgeball. The Break-Up is a movie of a different breed. Abandoning the temptation to deliver a consistently uproarious comedy romp, The Break-Up deliberately balances itself with dramatic conflict, and gives us something a little different than what Hollywood has forced us to become accustomed to. It doesn't do it flawlessly, but at least it makes the attempt.

Rachel And The Wedding Crasher

[helenkmessler · 6/10 · 12 July 2006]

You all know the story. I don't think anyone would have expected it to be so loud, but the story is that one. The break up of two people who were not suppose to be together in the first place. He is that obnoxious guy offering her a hot dog. She meets him at the same time we do. I would have run as far as possible as fast as possible but apparently there was something about this slightly deranged tourist guide who likes to play video games that appealed to her. Well, so, my dear you deserve every bit you're going to get. Vince Vaughn has all the "funny' lines and she is like a farcical woman from yesteryear, dating other guys to make him jealous. I'm not kidding, that's what she does, while he goes to visit Jon Favreau - the best bits in the film - to cry his miseries to the one other character more moronic than himself. Glimpses of Judy Davis, Ann-Margret and Vincent D'Onofrio give the movie an unexpected lift but, dear me, dear me. Rush to see the films of Preston Sturges, I'm talking to the filmmakers naturally. The awful part of the whole thing is that I found myself laughing and that as far as 2006 comedies is not half bad. Isn't that just terrible?

Ahead of its time in Rom-Com genre breaking

[jackgdemoss · 6/10 · 18 September 2019]

The cast is allstar. The banter is fairly witty and entertaining. The premise is enticing for its boldness in shying away from the expected in a romcom. All of the above isn't enough to make anything great happen in The Break-Up. It seems that as a viewer, I wasn't prepared to enjoy anything other than the classic formula in this genre, and that is likely entirely my fault.

Unlikeable characters

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 16 November 2013]

Gary Grobowski (Vince Vaughn) is a loud mouth boorish Neanderthal who works as a tour guide in Chicago. Brooke Meyers (Jennifer Aniston) works at an art gallery and feels completely neglected by him. They fight and they break up. Only neither of them are willing to move out of their luxury apartment and a war of the sexes ensues.

He is an insensitive idiot. It's not a new character for Vince and it's getting tiresome. She's a high maintenance girlfriend disguised as the girl next door. Again it's not a new character. They are not likable characters and I'm getting tired of the actors doing the same thing over and over again. They don't make for a good couple, and they don't have good chemistry. They should never be together in the first place. The only good thing is that they don't get back together.

This is meant to be a comedy. But there is too much serious anger and hate to be funny. It had a chance of this being a dark comedy, but nobody here could figure out how to make one.

A Drama With Comedic Elements - The Promotional Trailers Attempt to Mislead Us Again

[[e-mail] · 8/10 · 4 June 2006]

The Break-Up is a highly watchable drama that contains elements of cleaver comedy. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Anniston put in solid performances in a film that feels strikingly real at times.

The Break-up does not play out as a light-hearted comedy with a predictable wrap-up in the last five minutes. The Break-Up reveals the very human side of a failed relationship and its potential reconciliation. Yes, there are some very funny scenes. However, as the misalignment of expectations quickly unfolds the movie reveals its true self.

The Break-up does a more than credible job of displaying many of the aspects of how people deal with conflict and remorse. Many of the situations play all-in-one as funny, sad and realistic.

The bottom line is that the Break-Up is solid film built with Hollywood money and stars that chooses a route its benefactors rarely allow to be taken. This fact alone makes the movie worth viewing.

Actually really good and realistic

[nivethanin · 7/10 · 10 June 2019]

Title says it all. Both actors do a great charismatic job and it's interesting to see both perspectives of the break up... also oretty realistic...

No depth - even for a comedy

[lch100 · 3/10 · 27 December 2008]

If you're looking for a romantic comedy that has real warmth of relationships and a sense that something was actually gained by their experience, look elsewhere. Aniston seems remarkably old (save the die-for bod) than the boyish, immature Vaughn, yet her character has the emotional IQ of a young teen. Jason Bateman is the only actor that brings something a bit interesting or unexpected to his role, but he disappears into the one-dimensional background of the film along with all the other split-second characters. These people are generally pretty boring and the lead characters leave us with one rather "discount-bin" message: "Watch this movie because we're both cute and popular stars." I'd like to see Vaughn play a deep and serious, dramatic role and I'd like to see Aniston cross over to a mature role closer to her age--with some real, dramatic depth.

Quite enjoyable

[Floated2 · 7/10 · 10 November 2018]

There have been several romantic comedies which have seemingly came and went and seemed to be forgotten. The Break-Up was quite a success at both arguably the peaks and primes of Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston's career. They deliver great performances and the chemistry shows throughout which is the main reason as to why this film worked as it does, as they both make it more enjoyable than need be. Vaughn is funny in his deliver and mannerisms and Jennifer Aniston is quite lovely, and although unlikable at times, the character works.

With little knowledge of the film expect remembering hearing about its success years ago, one was cautious of watching as many romantic comedies tend to be overly try-hard funny, or too emotional and romantic, and predictable.

The Break-Up feels quite different in sense though somewhat feels as a plot for a television series. What is quite good and different in the film is that it doesn't try too hard at being romantic and lovely. And within the end, we see that a happy ending isn't always the most predictable one.

Recommend for those not typically into the typical romantic comedies but something to be more relaxed in and not think too much.

Delightful War of Sexes

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 16 December 2006]

In Chicago, the art dealer Brooke Meyers (Jennifer Aniston) feels not appreciated and neglected by her immature husband Gary Grobowski (Vince Vaughn), who is partner of his two brothers in a tourism business, and decides to break-up with him to make Gary misses her. Gary misunderstands her true intention, both follows the wrong advices of family members and friends, beginning a war of sexes with no winner.

"The Break-up" is a surprisingly good dramatic comedy, showing a delightful war of sexes between a young couple that is misguided by family members and friends. The story is well constructed, has many funny moments, it is never corny and has a wonderful conclusion, different from the usual clichés of Hollywood movies. The charming and gorgeous Jennifer Aniston and the nice Vince Vaughn show an amazing chemistry and have great performances with an excellent cast, and Judy Davis is unrecognizable in the role of Marilyn Dean. The alternate ending in the Extras of the DVD is simply awful, and could have spoiled this good movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Separados Pelo Casamento" ("Separated by Marriage")

The rarest of beasts- a genuinely good Hollywood rom-com

[Ruskington · 7/10 · 1 August 2020]

In amongst the conveyor-belt of dreadful and repetitive Hollywood comedies, I finally found something of actual quality. What separates The Break-Up from the usual claptrap is the fact that it has a thoroughly believable love story at the centre of it. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Anniston both give career-best performances (in my opinion anyway) and the terrain of a relationship breakdown is explored delicately and authentically. There was an episode of Friends where the relationship between Ross and Rachel comes to an abrupt end and the quality of acting from Anniston and David Schwimmer was exceptional. The Break-Up is kind of like a movie-length version of that episode.

On top of that, there is plenty of good comedy without all the toilet humour and sex jokes that plague these type of rom-coms. Vaughn is the only member of the infamous 'fratpack' who has any actual comedic talent and it shows here.

I also love the way the story wraps up which is refreshingly realistic. The writers chose not to take the expected route and the film is all the better for it. If this movie was a piece of foreign cinema with unknown actors, I'm confident it would be rated an awful lot higher.

Simply Fantastic

[sixdayssouth · 10/10 · 8 November 2006]

Honestly, I was completely shocked by this film. I didn't see it in theaters because it honestly didn't look like the type of film I would typically find appealing. But when the DVD was released, I snatched it up in a hurry because my wife loves romantic comedies. And that's exactly what we thought we were going to get. Instead we got a poignant, heartfelt and almost painfully realistic piece of insight into the psychology and calamity of two people struggling to hold onto something they never had ahold of in the first place: love.

First of all, I must say that Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston were absolutely fantastic. I'm a huge fan of Vince's and I've enjoyed Jennifer in most of the films I've seen her in, but I've never appreciated either of them as much as I did in The Break-up. Their acting was directly on-target. The initial fight scene (when the break-up actually occurs) was so phenomenal I actually paused the movie when it was over just to take it all in. I've never seen two people on screen portray a 'lovers quarrel' so accurately and realistically. Hats off to Jen and Vince for an outstanding performance.

The movie definitely has its funny moments. Vince brings his usual fast-talking wit to the screen and that's an instant recipe for comedy in my book. But what I really took from this movie, as someone who is in a committed relationship and understands (as well as the average person can) the complexities of love, was its underlying message. Love is not all moonlight and roses; it's not always romantic, it's not always fun and it's sure as hell not always easy. But hard work, dedication and a solid foundation of love and respect can bring two people through just about anything together. This movie is absolutely brilliant and I'd recommend it to anyone, but especially married couples or people in committed relationships.

Film Was Disappointment - THIS is Film-making??

[prosound-2 · 2 June 2006]

Gay jokes, clichés and other minor details aside...did ANYONE notice the continuous visual blooper of the BOOM MIKE CONSTANTLY BOBBING UP AND DOWN ABOVE THE ACTORS HEADS thruout MANY scenes in the film?? Reading the reviews from EBERT, and other "distinguished" film reviewers, no one seemed to notice this or care that it made the final cut of the film.

They spent better than a month in Chicago to reshoot the end of the movie because word has it the test audiences didn't like the way the original cut of the film ended, spent many hundreds of thousands on non-union extras, rental of equipment, food, paying the actors outrageous sums of money to make this turkey, and the director, the producer, the film editors and the production people at Universal Studios can't even properly frame a scene so that the boom mike doesn't show on camera??? I'd expect that kind of amateur editing from teen filmmakers at Columbia College, but UNIVERSAL?? What happened, Mr Reed? Fall asleep watching the rushes??

Outside of the fact that many of the characters were shallow and unnecessary (somebody actually PAID Ann Margret to make a cameo appearance and sit like a bump on a log at the dinner table scene when a no-name extra could have done just as well), the film felt uneven and stopped being funny about 30 minutes in. All the hoo-haa, interviews on Letterman & Leno, Vince And Jen romance PR and the unnecessary media circus they did for this flick could have been saved by delaying the release of the film until they found a professional to edit and frame it properly, and THEN develop the characters to more resemble people we can care about.

The end scene where Vince and Jen accidentally "bumped into" each other in front a store some months after their breakup concluded with Jen and Vince flashing a little smile at each other before they walked their separate ways. I imagine they were both thinking "we pulled off a nice little publicity scam, and got paid WAAAAYYY more than we're worth, and the public came to see us anyway..."

This is film-making? Apparently it's easier to scam the public than I thought......

A Nutshell Review: The Break-Up

[DICK STEEL · 6/10 · 23 August 2006]

The real life relationship between Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston probably casted a cynical shadow over this movie, given its ominously sounding title about the end of relationships. Not that it's played out in an unbelievable manner, but this is a classic case of real life causing an unwanted effect on reel life.

In a courtship that spanned up until the end of the opening credits, that's familiar grounds to the real/reel couple as we see them so utterly in love with each other. And it's not before long that the lack of nine lemons became the spark of a heated, long drawn argument. It's the littliest things that always matter and provide the catalyst for unwanted trouble, and the lack of appreciation somehow almost always provide ample ammunition to the start of a cold war.

This movie had the effect of trotting the fine line between the two parties, though I must say that I stand on the side of Aniston's Brooke, rather than Vaughn's Gary. Perhaps that's because I've weaned myself off video games. Anyway, from a spectator's point of view without taking sides because of sexes, her requests (if you call them that) seem reasonable enough, in any relationship which is about give and take. So if you were to ask me who's right or wrong, I've already made my stand.

But while the movie dwells on the confusion of the situation made worse by a common living space and mortgage (money has to do with everything, no doubt), it's some same old grounds that many romance movies had already tread upon, exploring the pain of breaking up and losing someone you had taken for granted, except that because of the premise of this movie, it had to be played out in a more extensive manner. It takes a long look at the games people play to get back at each other, and the saying of things that you don't really mean in the heat of the moment, the skewing of meanings, and the explosion after keeping what you abhor about someone inside you for so long (that's for keeping things under the carpet during good times). There's also quite a realistic take on the running to friends and family for emotional support, and the difficulty of being caught in the middle of things especially when you're friends of both.

Between the two leads, the pain of the break can be most visibly seen in Jennifer Aniston, and there are no doubts as to where she could have drawn the strength from to play her emotional wrecking scenes. Vince Vaughn again looked like he sleepwalked through a role (not that it mattered, given the character), but I thought that his portrayal didn't really bring out that tinge of regret or believable sadness at the whole event.

Can you become friends with the person you broke up with? Probably. How deep that friendship can be will depend on the circumstances behind the breakup, and of course how willing each party is to bury the past and carry on as friends. It could be in an extreme superficial manner, which I would think now, why bother at all?

The city of Chicago provided the backdrop of another recent movie - The Lake House, in a story about love and hope. Here, it turned the other way and became the city where love and hope had faded, and those who have undergone a break up of sorts can experience the bittersweet aftertaste. Did I mention the almost unrecognizable Justin Long's awfully fugly take as an effeminate co-worker? Ewww....

Bleh

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 15 February 2009]

Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn are going through "The Break-Up" in this 2006 comedy-drama that also stars Judy Davis, Ann-Margret, Jason Bateman and Vincent D'Onofrio. Vaughn plays a funny guy who is in the Chicago city tour business with his brothers. Aniston is his girlfriend, who works in an art gallery. The two live together in a beautiful condo. We see them when he meets her for the first time at a ballgame; the next time we see them, she is throwing a dinner party, and he isn't helping out. They break up not long after.

I'll just cut to the chase on this one. I wasn't disappointed that it was advertised as a comedy and had dramatic moments. I thought the acting was fine. Vaughn has good delivery, and Jennifer Aniston is a likable actress. There were great performances in good roles by Vincent D'Onofrio, Judy Davis, and Jason Bateman. And there were some very funny scenes.

At 1:47 minutes, fifteen minutes could have been cut. The movie dragged.

Now for my real problem. I read a few reviews on this board, and only one person mentioned this. Why the hell would a bright, well-read, good-looking woman with no end of intelligent, well-read, attractive men asking her out allow herself to be in a relationship with the selfish, irresponsible, nearly Neandrathal slob Vince Vaughn played? I can see that he was a funny guy, and they had good times together - but that's it. And that's not enough. I never got from the Aniston character that she had no self-esteem, but to stay with this guy, and lay out his clothes, and cook, make plans for get-togethers, and do whatever he wanted - she must not have had any. The abrupt change in Vaughn's character was unbelievable as well.

In short, I thought she was too good for him, and why she hadn't figured that out is beyond me. Just not a good script as far as characterizations and believability. The comedy sections were good, but the rest of the script just didn't hang together.

mediocre at best

[stepwallace · 16 June 2006]

I was expecting a very basic romantic comedy. But this movie was missing any consistency in both.

Let's be clear, i wasn't expecting a great deal of either - but the it was difficult to really relate to either character's situation. You would hope to see the argument (breakup) from both sides, see both characters merits - and downfalls. But it ended up just feeling like a manipulative woman and a man who just didn't realise his own folly.

Even as a chick flick (and i like a good chick flick) this one falls down. If u see it on TV, maybe give it a few moments - but if you've seen the trailer, you've seen the highlights - and they were much much better when seen in the context of the trailer, sadly - not in the movie.

Unromantic Comedy

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 1 June 2007]

This movie was a tamer and a little less funny version of "War of the Roses". Actually, I think it would have been a lot better movie if they went the "War of Roses" route and just started having physical battles because the superficial games they were playing didn't really strike the funny bone. Except for the occasional good line from Vince Vaughn, the situations and the dialogue were very blaah. I was expecting some laugh out loud moments, but instead I got mostly angry tirades. This movie was definitely more along the lines of a dramedy because it really lulled and got serious at times. This movie was alright, which equates to a letdown from Vaughn and Anniston.

Commendable But Flawed Movie

[tabuno · 6/10 · 22 January 2019]

4 August 2006. It is very difficult to find the right balance between comedy and drama, particularly when the trailers suggest that this movie is strictly a romantic comedy that turns out to be more drama than comedy with a significant dose of raw humor thrown in. The chemistry between the leads was never solidified and the ending is more of an attempt to look sophisticated. There are scenes of humor, yet the movie is uneven and not balanced between being funny and being serious. We even get a gay-like art receptionist.

The movie's concept is good but its execution seems heavily weighted on this game people play. Strangely the realistic ambivalence in any breakup does seem to come across, probably too much so. There is, however, a roughly consistent storyline of the break-up focus, yet the sharp drama, the more sublime humor is missing.

Painful to Watch

[BrooklynNellie · 3/10 · 9 June 2006]

I was expecting a romantic comedy. Although there were some comedic elements, The Break Up was too shrill and combative to qualify as a romantic comedy. Several scenes were uncomfortable to watch. Jennifer Anniston lacked her usual spark. Vince Vaughn's performance was lackluster. One of my favorite actors, Jason Bateman, I hate to say it, sucked. One can only blame the director for taking such good actors and having them turn out such mediocre performances. The minor characters were not well developed, and even the major characters lacked a third dimension or like-ability. The script was also lacking. I would recommend that you not waste your money on this tripe. If you are looking for a light-hearted, feel-good romantic comedy, The Break-Up is to be avoided. Go look for something British instead.

WARNING: This is NOT a romantic comedy

[bowmanblue · 6/10 · 28 May 2014]

Some actors get typecast pretty quickly. I think it's fair to say that Jenifer Aniston is one. She readily plays the lovable, kooky happy-go-lucky characters in a will they/won't they romantic relationship (and let's face it - they always do).

I don't normally watch romantic comedies. I find them predictable and identical (and rarely are any of them worthy of the 'comedy' half of their labelled genre). I was curious about The Break Up because I heard it didn't subscribe to romantic comedies' formula. And there's a very good reason for this - that is because it's NOT a romantic comedy.

Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn get together in the opening montage and break up about fifteen minutes into the film. I knew this before I watched it. Therefore, what I expected, was roughly another seventy-five minutes of laughs as the two central protagonists make each other's lives hell.

However, what I got was simply two people being nasty to each other. Sadly, this is probably a lot more realistic than most rom-coms, and, upon watching it, I think I'd rather stick with the fantasy of boy meets girl and they live happily ever after.

The bottom line is that this film is more of a drama than a comedy - the jokes are few and far between. The scripted arguments may be accurate, but they're not that nice to keep watching. It's quite sexist too. Jenifer Aniston may be a bit uptight, but Vince Vaughn is a berk. The hardest thing to imagine is these two characters getting together in the first place and staying together long enough to even buy a house, let alone fight over who should keep it once they've split.

Bottom line - yes, it's more 'real' than a romantic comedy, yet it has less comedic elements than even the most unfunny romantic comedy. It certainly doesn't stick to the rom-com genre. For the first time in my life I find myself saying 'Pity.'

Really Bad

[toastyinva · 1/10 · 4 June 2006]

This movie is painful to watch - so NOT funny - 1 hour and 40 minutes of bickering. Too many arguments that don't lead to any laughs. People want Vince to say something funny and he rarely does so it becomes annoying to sit through the bickering. Terrible idea for a movie. Terrible script. Aniston continues her slide of less than mediocre movies. Why was Ann-Margret in this movie? She did nothing. How many times do we need to see the video game Vince is playing?? Who cares?? This movie should take a huge hit at the box office after word gets out that this is the movie to avoid this summer. I would not even rent this garbage. You have been warned.

Give this movie a chance!

[PtownB5 · 8/10 · 25 August 2006]

This is not your garden variety romantic comedy, thank god! I loved the authenticity of this movie. I don't know anyone who has been in a serious relationship that wouldn't relate to this movie. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston are superb- they are both so credible and organic in these roles. Not sure about the bizarre-ish people the characters may surround themselves in the movie- family, friends and co-workers definitely are weird- but maybe they serve as a springboard to really bring the 2 main characters to life. (maybe comedic relief, too) In any case, so refreshing to watch a movie that is realistic and unpretentious. The opening scenes are scrapbook photos when the couple were together- they were wonderful- the exact types of photos most of us have in our own scrapbooks. It isn't an indie art-house film, but a big production that doesn't follow a relationship formulaic predictor for ratings, insead it portrays arguments and a break up in a realistic way. Lack of communication, lack of effort, too much pride, battles over what isn't so important but seems so at the time- all that. I was also pleased that it didn't wrap up in a big red bow at the end like most Hollywood movies.