Can't Beat this Retreat

By Juliana Serrano     10/8/09 7:00pm

No one goes to a Vince Vaughn movie expecting an epiphany. In that sense, Couples Retreat gets high marks for meeting expectations. The film is simply a funny movie that lets the viewer unwind and laugh at penis jokes for two hours without needing to delve into the deeper meaning. Something, I would wager, we could all use over fall break.Couples Retreat follows four couples who go to an island paradise designed to help troubled marriages. Only one of the couples actually wants to work on their marriage, but because the island promises water sports and fun, the others agree to tag along. The couples do not realize that the "couple bonding" sessions on the schedule are mandatory and that they cannot just lounge around all day. Hilarious adventures ensue and the couples end up appreciating the marriage counseling more than they thought they would.

Needless to say, not much deeper meaning is to be had.

Besides Vince Vaughn, the movie has several other big names, including Sex and the City's Kristin Davis, "Veronica Mars"' Kristen Bell and "Arrested Development"'s Jason Bateman. While they may not deliver Oscar-winning performances, the characters in this movie have memorable personalities, with distinctive quirks ranging from Bateman's anal attitude to Jon Favreau's (I Love You, Man) Vince-Vaughn-part-two personality.

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It is a staple of Vaughn's flicks that awkward moments abound, and this movie is no letdown. There was a yoga scene so risqué the mother seated next to me had to close her little boy's eyes, and a masturbation scene that would have made Sacha Baron Cohen proud. But instead of the nausea permeating in Brüno, the audience seemed to receive these scenes with the necessary humor, judging by the peals of laughter.

For those not fans of that brand of humor, don't worry. This movie also has some great moments with jokes that have nothing to do with toilets or sex. An endearing toddler, for example, completely steals the show with his one-liners. He is not just cute - he is downright hilarious, even if some of his jokes are a tad mature for his age.

In addition to its humor, this movie provides beautiful scenery of the island paradise - even Vaughn muses, "This place looks like a screensaver!" - as well as a great soundtrack that fits with the movie's fun, escapist theme, polished by two-time Academy-Award winner A.R. Rahman.

The ending of the movie is incredibly cliché, and the final 30 minutes tie up loose ends in a way that will satisfy chick-flick aficianados. But these moments are anomalies, as the men in the movie come across as bitter and a little chauvinistic, which can cancel out the romantic factor.

In terms of romantic frivolity, the film succeeds. But even then, a movie can only go so far. Some of the romantic moments are forced, stilted and transparent. The movie tries to leave the viewer with a deeper understanding of divorce and recuperation, but the message gets lost in Vaughn's schtick, which permeates from beginning to end.

Couples Retreat appeals to both males and females, and is well worth the price of admission - even if you're just there to ogle the numerous bikini-clad girls. In addition, the preview leaves plenty of silliness for the movie. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a retreat beforefinals arrive.

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