Fri., Jun. 2, 2006 12:00 AM PDT
If there really are fifty ways to leave your lover, then by rights
The Break-Up could spawn forty-nine sequels, with
Vince Vaughn and
Jennifer Aniston finding new and different ways to dissolve their (fictional) relationship. But for better or worse, none of them would likely match the way this intermittently funny and resonant "anti-romance" rings true.
The interplay between Vaughn's schlubby, motormouthed everyman and Aniston's put-upon girlfriend makes for a reasonably adept exploration of the surprisingly thin border between a successful relationship and an incipient murder-suicide.
The Break-Up has many flaws--tepid pacing, a botched conclusion and some grossly misplayed jealousy-inducement schemes that feel like the opposite of what the film deserves. But for each flaw there are two keen moments of insightn and fine supporting performances. An eye for the devil in the details gives the story its heart--a broken heart, but that's better than none at all.
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