At the Movies

by Esther McCarthy

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JOKES ON THE RETREAT IN DEATHLY-DULL FLICK

COUPLES RETREAT (15A) starstar

THE STARS: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Kristin Davis, Malin Akerman.

THE STORY: Four couples with relationship problems head to a tropical paradise for rest and fun, not realising they've signed up for an intense counselling session.

PARADISE LOST: Script is dreadfulALL TANNED in a pretty sunshine setting, it looks like the cast of Couples Retreat had a lot more fun making this movie than audiences are going to have watching it.

For in what has been a poor year for romantic comedies, even the normally-likeable Favreau and Vaughan fail to get this movie out of first gear.

The problem is in the very concept - if you're going to make a rom com about counselling, you need a razorsharp script and some endearing personalities to make it sparkle.

Intense

The movie tells the story of four couples who are setting off on a dream trip to a tropical resort. While all of them are having issues in their relationships, only one of the couples is aware they've signed up for intense marriage-counselling sessions - the rest of them just want sunshine and partying.

They quickly learn that opting out of marital examination is not an option and, to make matters worse, a singles-party central lies tantalisingly close on the other side of the island.

It could have been an insightful comedy about what makes relationships tick but neither the scenarios nor the characters ever feel real. It's particularly sad to note that this comes from Favreau and Vaughn, so funny in the classic movie Swingers, but going through the motions here.

THE VERDICT:

Yet another rom com that's sorely lacking in both comedy and romance, with cardboard cut-out characters.

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