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Couples Retreat
The (apparent) widespread appeal of Vince Vaughan has always eluded me. His trademark deadpan humour is just that - deadpan. And Jon Favreau's NY Queens-schtick belongs firmly in TV sitcom territory, not on the silver screen (though on the strength of Iron Man, he can direct whatever he likes). Given that Couples Retreat is written by Vaughan and Favreau (along with Dana Fox) it is no surprise that the result is a comically flat movie which would find a more comfortable home on TV. As scriptwriters, Vaughan and Favreau must also take responsibility for the great big wet blanket of fun-killing seriousness that runs through the core of the film; a facet which culminates in therapy scenes that are frequently, and painfully, unfunny.
Peformance wise, the three female leads, Malin Akerman, Kristin Bell and Kristin Davis, hold up their end of the bargain better than the boys and although this may be simply because they are prettier, there's an undeniable warmth in their characters which is almost completely absent in Vaughan and Favreau. Jason Bateman rounds out the guys' side of the team and brings some much needed character complexity to the male crew. Faizon Love and Kali Hawk represent the fourth couple of the troupe but may as well not be there at all given how little each of them has to do. Dare I say it, they are barely more than the ‘token’ African American couple of the piece.
While it's nice to see Temuera Morrison back on screen, it would be good to see ‘Jake The Muss’ in a little less superficial role than merely banging a gong at the beginning of each act - such a waste of fine talent! The shining beacon of the film, however, is Jean Reno who is clearly enjoying himself silly as relationship guru, Marcel. Peter Serafinowicz also presents well as the sinisterly polite concierge, Sctanley (with a 'c').
Admittedly, Couples Retreat does find its heart in the closing act but getting there is a slow, sometimes painful, journey with but a few laughs along the way. In some respects the film would work better as a drama except that the smattering of half-funny gags would get in the way. As a result the movie sits uneasily between drama and comedy, adopting the most mutually incompatible aspects of each genre and thereby satisfying neither.
Stuart Jamieson
www.couplesretreatmovie.com
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