Couples Retreat

Some slightly mediocre movies are worth going to just because of the set, or the location. I’m talking about the icebound, gothic castles of Van Helsing, the soaring shots of the Pacific Northwest from Twilight, or the sun-soaked Greek isles of fall release Mama Mia. And now that I’ve alienated both men and women, let me say that setting was my major motivation for going to see Couples Retreat. Who wouldn’t enjoy spending a couple hours seeing how the richer half lives at a Tahitian resort most of us will only ever dream of?

The movie lived up to my expectations of pure escapism, without many original things to say. The most inspiring moment of the night was when I learned, during the Screenvision program that runs before the movie, that there are 3 versions of the Mona Lisa under the original one, as they’ve proven by X-ray technology. Guess the 4th time’s the charm, and I shouldn’t give up so quickly.

Couples Retreat was a breath of fresh air in a heavily post-modern society that tries to avoid any semblance of a happy ending. Instead of ugly caricatures of unhappy people tearing one another apart with caustic sarcasm, the movie portrayed busy, lonely, kind adults who were willing to put in the work but worn down by life. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny, as Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman deliver their signature character humor peppered with one-liners. Its main downsides were moments of cheesiness, a few bawdy scenes that added little humor and could have been avoided, and several characters in the resort staff that were drawn as two-dimensionally as a comic strip.

Truly, the best part of the movie for me was seeing Vince Vaughn get to be funny while portraying a mature, happy character. Mature, and happy…two characteristics that often coincide after the “Breakups” and “Four Christmases” of your twenties.

Don’t go to see Couples Retreat if you’re in the mood for something deep or original. Do go if you’re in the mood to laugh or if you simply need to be warmed up.