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The director and writer/star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall reteam for the irreverent comedy The Five-Year Engagement. Beginning where most romantic comedies end, the new film from director Nicholas Stoller, producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Rodney Rothman (Get Him to the Greek) looks at what happens when an engaged couple, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, keeps getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle. – (C) Universal
| Date | Jul 9, 2012 |
| Categories | Movies. |
| Tags | Comedy, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Judd Apatow, Kevin Hart, Romantic, The Five-Year Engagment. |
| Total views | 337 |
| Daily views | 1 |
About
Written By: Maureen Van Deusen
Don’t forget to check out the trailer when you are done reading the review!
Emily Blunt and Jason Segel star in the 2012 film The Five-Year Engagement as the lovable Violet Barnes and Tom Solomon, a young couple whose roller-coaster relationship is chronicled in this romantic comedy. The movie starts off with a glimpse of the blossoming relationship between the two, and Tom’s proposal to Violet. It begins to unfold in the first 20 minutes when their wedding is postponed because Violet has been offered a spot in the graduate program at the University of Michigan, a big leap from their native land of California.
This movie is your typical rom-com, where we watch as the main characters face trials and tribulations, attempting to make things work. Repeatedly, Violet’s career aspirations postpone the couple’s marriage, and Tom’s career as a professional chef is thrown by the way-side, causing tensions in the relationship that seem insurmountable. However, while there are definitely some clichés that come with this genre of film, what ultimately comes through are all the things that make The Five-Year Engagement unique.
What really stands out are the comedic backgrounds of Segel and Blunt, who both shine as witty and hilarious characters that everyday movie-goers can relate to, a hard thing to achieve as both actors are blockbuster celebrities. Another key element that the two have in the film is their palpable chemistry, which is a must in romantic comedies for obvious reasons, but is not always accomplished. While both Segel and Blunt are in their element in this flick, it is Blunt who steals the show. Her character Violet is fully developed and thought-out, and she plays the part perfectly, never missing a beat or letting a joke fall flat.
This movie may be a romantic comedy, but at many points in the film, it’s the comedy that pulls out in front. With such actors as Chris Parnell, Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, and Chris Pratt making appearances, it’s easy to forget you’re not snickering in the audience at a Judd Apatow film.
One of the best things about this movie is that it takes place over a long period of time. If the title didn’t tip you off, the film follows Tom and Violet for five years and in that time, you really get to know the couple and want to see them end up together. With a two hour run time, there is no rushing to fit in little details and while there may be a few parts in the movie that seem to drag on, it’s definitely worth staying up a little later to finish.
All in all, this film could very easily have been a dud, if not for the easy chemistry between Blunt and Segel, and the cute plot that is just enough of a deviation from the typical romantic comedy to feel different. If you were a Jason Segel or Emily Blunt fan before, you will love this movie. If you weren’t, you will be after seeing it. Hollywood Apples gives The Five-Year Engagement 4 out of 5 apples and recommends it if you’d like a good laugh, cry, and everything in between.
