Movie Review

"The Break Up" --- I liked it.  Is anyone surprised?

Vaughn played Vaughn, he didn't get low and boring like in Dodgeball.  I got an out-of-focus view of Jennifer Anniston's ass (unless that was a body-double).  Favreau did a lot with a little (to be discussed later).  All in all, I enjoyed the ride through a slippery, sometimes abruptly tone-switching, romantic comedy.

(I'll try not to give away any spoilers... this isn't like "Goodfellas" or "Scarface," this movie is destined to be a classic, and so hopefully I won't ruin the ending for anyone like I did with those other two films)

How about those references to previous Vaughn films, huh?  I caught three.  The first two were obvious, but I'm not sure how many of you caught the last one...
1: "Get all hopped up and make some bad decisions."  A pretty clear allusion to Wedding Crashers.
2:  "What are you going to get in trouble for?  Being awesome?"  This line is spoken by the actor who plays Vaughn's brother.  It is the same line Vaughn delivered in a deleted scene from Old School in which he told Luke Wilson, "Statutory rape is like the jaywalking of sex crimes.  What are you going to get in trouble for?  Being awesome?"
3.  "I don't know, I'm not Columbo."  Favreau says this while tending bar.  For those of you unfamiliar with Vaughn's pre-Old School work, he and Favreau starred in Made with Peter Falk (the actor who played Columbo).  In the film, Falk was their boss.

Not necessarily a reference, but certainly something worth noting:  This was Vernon Vaughn's third film.  He has played small roles opposite his son in "Swingers" (as the high-roller at the $100 minimum black-jack table), "Made" (as the high school football coach),  and "The Break Up" (as Jennifer Anniston's father).  His characters have never seemed quite fond of his real-life son.

Did anyone catch the "Arrested Development" reference made by Jason Bateman?  He played a realitor.  Early on in the film he said that he was in a hurry.  He had to show a house and it would take some time to pick up the cookie-scented spray (a la the episode of AD in which Ed Helms plays a realitor who sprays cookie scent around the houses he shows).

Onto Favreau... Jon was great in his role as Vaughn's heartily-fed, barkeep buddy.  He turned in one of the greatest "seemingly bonehead friend causes the lead character to re-examine himself and his actions" performances in years.  Almost under his breath, Favreau matter of factly declares "It's her fault.  She should've expected it."  He then proceeds to give Vaughn a dressing-down that no own has ever bothered to give him, or maybe he just never bothered to listen.  It doesn't rank as high as Ben Affleck's "Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way.  But in twenty years, if you're still living here, coming over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still working construction, I'll fuckin' kill you" speech in "Good Will Hunting."  But it's head and shoulders above a recently-made-sterile Cheddar Bob's speech in "8 Mile."  I'm not sure if River Phoenix's words of encouragment in "Stand By Me" fall in to this category.

The film has plenty of hilarious moments, lines, and characters.  John Michael Higgins, you may know him from Best In Show and Arrested Development, is great as Anniston's brother.  

While at times, Vaughn might seem a little too oblivious to his lover's distress, and Anniston might come off as a bit too tolerable of her boyfriend's juvenile antics and disinterest, the relationship and the characters seem a lot more closely drawn to real-life people and relationships than we are used to seeing in romantic comedies.  In some scenes, just like in life, the humor clashes with the drama and you find your laughter halted by the look on a geniunely fed-up Jennifer Anniston's face.  Certain aspects of the film might not sit well with summer movie-goers, looking for the boy meets girl, goofy fights ensue, and then all is forgiven formula.

So for those of you Vaughn and Favreau fans, I would recommend the movie.  If you're looking for a traditional, neatly packaged romantic comedy, you might want to pass on this one and just wait it out ("You, Me, and Dupree" seems to be getting some buzz).
   
Personal Movie News:

I begin work as the post production assistant on "Night at the Museum" this Friday.  I stopped in to the Fox Lot today to meet with everybody I used to work with.  The girl who hooked me up with the job has known the editor and assistant editor for years, and she says that they're a lot of fun and they really like to bust balls.  The temporary post production assistant that they've had for the past month was named "Scout" because on his resume he said he was an Eagle Scout.  I was told to expect a nickname.  They also told her, while I was sitting in her office, that while being hazed at a fraternity in college, I would at least get to be drunk.  I gotta be sober for this one.  She says I'll fit in nicely, and I believe her because in addition to editing "Rocky IV," Don Zimmerman was also the film editor on "Cobra" and "Over the Top."  He still wears the golden glove chain that Stallone gave him... god I hope he introduces me.  I'll keep you posted