Susan Granger’s review of “Couples Retreat” (Universal Pictures)
The unexpected popularity of this forgettable vacation romp can only be explained by the lack of romantic comedies at the multiplexes at the moment – and perhaps the universally-shared escapist fantasy of running off to a tropical island paradise like the exotic St. Regis in Bora-Bora in French Polynesia, where the production was filmed.
The plot revolves around four Midwestern couples who undergo relationship therapy. Their adventure is initiated by Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) who, after failing to conceive a child after eight years of marriage, wonder if they’re really meant for each other and are considering a divorce. They discover a New Age “renewal” program run by a tyrannical “couples whisperer,” Marcel (Jean Reno), at the Eden Resort, billed as “Disneyland for adults,” but the hitch is that they can only afford the group rate. So they recruit three other couples to share the experience and the expense.
Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman) seem like a rather well-adjusted married couple; they have two sons and a home needing renovations, which entails the normal amount of stress. At the opposite end of the happiness spectrum are Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis), former high school sweethearts who are only staying together until their teenage daughter departs for college. Finally, there’s recently divorced Shane (Faizon Love) who is crazy about twentysomething Trudy (Kali Hawk), who calls him “Daddy.”
Written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn (who collaborated on “Swingers”) along with Dana Fox (“What Happens in Vegas”), it contains seeds of sophistication which are never sewn. Instead, a raunchy, risqué, silly sensibility reigns. Producer-turned-director Peter Billingsley forces situational comedy, utilizing devices like bizarre yoga exercises, a body massage and a shark attack, not to mention blatant plugs for “Guitar Hero” and Applebee’s and tasteless references to testicular cancer. On the other hand, the music is memorable; it’s the first American film scored by last year’s “Slumdog Millionaire” Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Couples Retreat” is a floundering, intermittently funny 4. Wait for the dvd.
