Film Reviews

Wanderlust

• Rating:
• Director: David Wain
• Starring: Jennifer Aniston
• Details: US /98 Mins (16)

Although boasting the writing and directing team behind the immensely enjoyable Role Models, and starring that productions' talented lead, Paul Rudd, Wanderlust is a comedic dead fish. Maybe it's the overtly silly concept, or the parade of utterly unbelievable characters; either way, Paul Rudd is better than this.
Rudd and Aniston are a married couple living a stressful existence in a small, but expensive Manhattan apartment. When they hit some financial difficulty, the couple decide to move to Atlanta to live with Rudd's abusive brother (co-writer Ken Marino) - who is thoroughly enjoying the fact his sibling needs his help. Unable to take his weird behavioural swings, they somehow end up living on a commune, where concoctions of odd characters reside. They then too become odd. For a while.
Listen, there are some laughs to be had at Wanderlust. The problem is that most of those laughs seem to be in spite of the stupid plot. You don't need that high a concept around Paul Rudd. Give him a character, a remotely real feeling one, and let him run with it - you will get laughs. The scenes that do work are almost by accident. Almost every exchange feels improvised; but improvisation only really works in scenarios that can be plucked from some form of reality and there's precious little of that here.
It seems that even the filmmakers forgot to tack on a plot, and one doesn't really turn up until an hour or so in. That doesn't so much give the film purpose, but more signpost the ending so you have an idea of how the whole charade will conclude.
On the plus side the performances are nothing if not committed. Theroux is obviously enjoying himself, and others embrace the silliness with admirable gusto. Aniston and Rudd are also a believable couple, and it's a shame the film didn't given them enough to get their teeth into.
Rudd has his moments, but never moves out of second gear, while the whole thing is centred on too disjointed a concept to connect.

Review by Mike Sheridan