Screen Scene: “The Break-Up”

“The Break-Up”
Directed by Peyton ReedUniversal
pictures***

Like people do after a real breakup, “The Break-Up”
focuses on all the bad times.

The film explores what happens after most romantic movies end
with a kiss. The actual relationship is condensed into a
photomontage of holidays, lazy days, baseball games ““ all the
good times. And when there are no more happy still pictures, the
moving ones start yelling.

The photomontage is an effective way to show the relationship in
a short amount of time, but it too clearly indicates what the rest
of the film is missing: fun.

The transition is abrupt as it leaps from an image of the couple
gazing lovingly at one another to a scene where Gary (Vince Vaughn)
is ignoring most of what Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) is saying.
Showing the buildup to the breakup would have enabled the film to
be the minute study of emotions that it wants to be, but quick
changes of emotion happen in order to keep the plot going.

Brooke initiates the breakup, and so most of the film’s
events result from her emotion du jour. Anger, love, jealousy
““ for each feeling, there is a new segment.

The fact that Brooke’s emotions are all over the place
speaks in a sense to the confusion of a breakup. But in a movie, it
would be nice to see the motivations behind the changes of
heart.

Brooke has the power in the relationship; it will take whatever
course she wants. The irony is that Brooke is waiting for Gary to
make a move.

The tagline for the film is “pick a side,” but the
film picks Brooke’s side for us.

Gary is good-humored but childish ““ Vaughn’s
specialty ““ while Brooke is a more professional version of
Aniston’s social and stylish television role.

But these characters prove to be a little more well-rounded than
these stereotypes.

Brooke is an art dealer at an incredibly trendy art gallery. She
loves her job; she is good at it. Her boss, also a woman, respects
her. She intimidates her secretary, an effeminate man. She gets
asked out by a handsome rich client. She’s the conventional
woman in charge, but more sensitive to her emotions.

Gary, on the other hand, is the king of the grown-up slackers.
He is a semi-hardworking Chicago tour guide. He and his brothers
own the company, but his older brother constantly nags him to
finish his paperwork, a task Gary consistently avoids.

Vaughn’s energetic delivery can make almost anything
funny. But his character gets depressed after the breakup, and
there are few more chances for him to go for laughs.

Having fun off the misery of others can make for an exciting,
witty ride. “The Break-Up,” however, skips the satire
path and instead chooses to earnestly follow the emotions of the
characters.

It’s unfortunate that the film isn’t as funny as it
could be, but it’s also refreshing to see a romantic comedy
at least try to break the mold.

““ Amy Crocker

E-mail Crocker at [email protected].