DVD Reviews

Couples Retreat

• Rating:
• Director: Peter Billingsley
• Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Malin Ackerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis
• Details: US/107mins 15A

This is about half as funny as it could've been, which still means laughs, just not enough for those who know how good these guys can be. Having starred in the brilliant indie classic Swingers together, about a bunch of chaps on the pull, it seems only natural that Vaughn and Favreau would once again team up when making a film about relationships, and the many hidden cracks within them. Couples Retreat is an almost shamelessly broad comedy that delivers a few laughs thanks to a hugely talented cast, but never really lives up to its potential. Vaughn still delivers a line with gusto, and Favreau steals the majority of his scenes, but it just lacks the sufficient edge to be the saucy laugh riot it could have been. When two of their mates emotionally blackmail them into booking a pricey getaway, four couples take advantage of a group rate on a tropical island in order to spend some quality time with each other. But when they get there they realise that it isn't the laid back paradise they envisioned, and that they'll have to partake in the island's strict couple's therapy, which will force them to look at their relationships a lot more carefully. It's hard not to be disappointed by Couples Retreat. As soon as Vaughn and Favreau's names came up on the screen with 'written by' over them, my expectations instantly rose. These are the guys who made one of the best independent movies of all time, and one that is still endlessly quoted today - yet this is far from their best work. It's too long, sluggishly paced, and never spends enough time with each pairing (other than Vaughn and Ackerman) to really warm to them. Davis and Favreau have the most interesting relationship out of the four, and the movie is strongest when we first meet them. Playing both the caring parents and bitter husband and wife wonderfully within the same scene, Favreau eats up every single second on screen. Vaughn has his moments, but never really let's rip the way he can, while Bateman is completely wasted in a bland role as the gratingly pedantic husband.

Review by Mike Sheridan