... They buy a condo and start a life together, but unfortunately they were never meant to be. At what still seems to be the beginning of this film, they are already getting on each others' nerves. The last straw is when Gary refuses to help with the dishes as soon as the guests at their dinner ... Read review
The combined star power of Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers, Swingers) and Jennifer Aniston ... more
(Bruce Almighty, The Good Girl) makesThe Break-Upa high-profile romantic comedy. Gary (Vaughn) and Brooke (Aniston) find that their brittle relationship may have ...
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The combined star power of Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers, Swingers) and Jennifer Aniston ... more
(Bruce Almighty, The Good Girl) makesThe Break-Upa high-profile romantic comedy. Gary (Vaughn) and Brooke (Aniston) find that their brittle relationship may have ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston star in The Break-Up, which starts where most romantic ... more
comedies end - right at the point where they are driving each other crazy!Pushed to the breaking-up point after their latest 'why can't you do this one little thin...
Production Year: 2000 - Comedy - Director: David Raynr - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Shane West, Marla Sokoloff, James Franco, Colin Hanks, Christine Lakin, Aaron Paul
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Comedy - Director: Tony Dow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: John Challis, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Tessa Peake-Jones, Gwyneth Strong
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
...a detrimental situation is clearly the right thing to do and they know full well when it is time to let go. For most, it is not that easy to do. So much guilt, anger, bitterness, jealousy and downright sadness can cause people to lash out at each other as well as people around them. Petty, childish games are played as the two ex-lovebirds try to score points against one and other. Suddenly they feel like the damage is beyond repair, so they stop ... ...make the break-up as civil and gentle as possible.
Story
Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn star as Brook and Gary, pair that met at a baseball game, saw sparks fly and made the mistake of rushing into a full-blown relationship just a little too fast. They buy a condo and start a life together, but unfortunately they were never meant to be. At what still seems to be the beginning of this film, they are already getting ... more
...of a relationship is when it finally breaks down. For some, walking away from a detrimental situation is clearly the right thing to do and they know full well when it is time to let go. For most, it is not that easy to do. So much guilt, anger, bitterness, jealousy and downright sadness can cause people to lash out at each other as well as people around them. Petty, childish games are played as the two ex-lovebirds try to score points against one and other. Suddenly they feel like the damage is beyond repair, so they stop trying, not only to make the relationship work but to make the break-up as civil and gentle as possible.
Story
Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn star as Brook and Gary, pair that met at a baseball game, saw sparks fly and made the mistake of rushing into a full-blown relationship just a little too fast. They buy a condo and start a life together, but unfortunately they were never meant to be. At what still seems to be the beginning of this film, they are already getting on each others' nerves. The last straw is when Gary refuses to help with the dishes as soon as the guests at their dinner party have left. Having bought only 3 lemons, when she specifically asked for 12, refused to help set the table and even told the guests Brook would not need their help clearing away, it is fair to think Gary had made no effort whatsoever to prevent the row that entailed. Brook, understandably feeling that he could not give a damn, makes the move and brings the whole relationship to an abrupt end. However, I guess it's true that 'it ain't over 'til it’s over', because we still have much of the film to see. It is not so much about who is right and who is wrong, but about how they and everyone around them deal with the break-up that this film is focused on. Doors are slammed, Brook takes over the bedroom, leaving Gary to exclude her from what used to be the living area - now his bedroom. They bicker over every silly little thing. Their friends become another thing to fight over. Brook decides to have Gary 'voted off' the Bowling team and he responds by attempting to have her friend kicked out of 'Game Night'. The only thing that is agreed is that they need to sell up the condo - fast.
Acting
For me, at first I felt that Jennifer Aniston was too blatantly acting. I don't know why but I found her role very unconvincing, perhaps because I expected to be able to relate to her and simply could not. However, as the film developed we started to see how much pain this character went through. Gary, on the other hand, being a typical lad, swiftly moves from that masculine (annoying) indifference, to someone completely torn up but clueless as to what to do about it. Vaughn fits this role pretty well, from the start I found him annoying but yet as he started to realise his mistakes I could not help but sympathise with him. Perhaps it is of some comfort to women to know that the guy who caused this much grief may well regret it later or wish he had known better. The sad thing is that 'sorry' always comes too late. The family, friends and others also play important parts in this film. Much as they try to help, there is little they can do but watch the pair self-destruct. Brook's brother is a weird guy, who, to me, talks rubbish but brings a bit of fun into the film. He turns out to be more than a singer, but when Gary accuses him of being gay I felt this raised controversial issues in the film that were frankly not dealt with properly and best left out. He can sing, which does not make him gay. He can also beat the crap out of Gary, which does not make him 'straight'. I just did not see the point to this even being brought up.
The co-worker and boss at the Art Gallery at which Brook works are both wonderfully strange characters. I did find her boss a little scary and mean, so it is a shame we did not see more of her in this film. Her unsympathetic manner reflects how some people do respond to people's problems, whether to do with relationships or not, so I thought this was a nice thing to include. Not everyone knows how best to help, nor does everybody always have time to be concerned for the well-being of others. This is not right, but it does not make those people bad, and I'm sure they would do more if they could. The co-worker, again is of little help, but represents a different kind of person. The one that means well but always wants to cheer you up, although this is not always what you really want. He was irritating, yet sweet.
One of Gary's mates tries his best to listen, always being brutally honest, yet well-meaning and even tries his best to be there and support him. Unlike some of Brook's friends, he is not willing to be completely dragged into the games and eventually, for Gary's own good, makes a stand. He represents a good friend, who will really be there for you, but who lacks tact and simply has a different idea of loyalty to the one Gary expects of him. Perhaps we all need someone like that in our lives once and for all.
I've gone on a bit here - I could detail all the characters but I realise that would defeat the object of watching the film! Hopefully this is enough to give you an idea of the variety of personalities in this film and how well it really does reflect on reality. I expect most of us will find one person in this film we can relate to, to some extent at least.
Soundtrack
Full of fun, lively music, this film is sad enough as it is and does not need to be brought down by chick-flick tunes. Instead, an uplifting approach has been taken to the music. I loved the use of Queen at the start - well-known, popular tune that is not exactly romantic but certainly feel-good. Even as things go downhill, the music stays fairly upbeat. It does play a part in maintaining the balance and variety of this film and for me it fulfilled its function well.
Film qualities
Well, there is little to say here. There is plenty of variety in the scenes. Being a tour guide, we get a look-around of the area. We also get to see some fascinating works of art in the gallery. The condo is transformed from warm home to messy, disastrous living quarters for two. Something that reflects the story nicely. Other than I'm not sure what to comment on. With such people as Jennifer Aniston, who, as beautiful as she is, pulls of the real woman quite well, there is little more than can be done to improve this film's quality.
Classification
The film is rated 12/12A, which seems about right, although I doubt this film would be of interest to people around 12 or younger anyway. I think the rating is probably mostly down to strong language in the film.
Conclusion
This is a film that can easily bring about several different emotions at once. They look so happy at the start, it seems like an uplifting, but typical romantic comedy. It is fair to say that it has its funny moments. Classing it as romantic, however, soon becomes very different to do. I watched this film with my family and both my parents were pretty wound up just by Gary's behaviour. Mum fell asleep, but this she does with any film, so I would not take it outright to mean it is boring. Both Brook and Gary are immature, so you often find yourself cringing at their behaviour. It can make you feel quite saddened by what looked like something so good turning sour - for me I tend to think in terms of 'if only' - why didn't they just learn to compromise a little? If only they'd let all the pride nonsense go they could sort out the mess before it got out of hand. It is frustrating and a bit depressing to see how easily these days people give up and throw the towel in, like it is the easy way out of a commitment, but I guess this film at least proved to me it is certainly not an easy way out. This film differs from romantic comedies in being that much realistic. This made me both like and hate it, because I only wish this was not reality, or that people would not just accept it as such.
Advantages: Opportunity to eat popcorn?! Disadvantages: Many ~ please see review
...that I recently saw at the movies, and not a DVD review, so it doesn't come complete with details of what the box looks like or what the special features are, as it's not yet out on DVD. That is of course, unless you know someone who takes his/her video camera to the movies and then sells on a dodgy copy to you afterwards. You know the ones, you insert the blank DVD into a machine, and up comes a dark picture with infrequent mumblings, with the obligatory ... ...the picture. If your really lucky, one cinemagoer might actually stand up to order an ice cream or more popcorn halfway through the film and block the screen for a full 5-minutes.
All of the above is more interesting than this film, billed as a "romantic comedy", but sadly lacking any comedy, other than the first 15-minutes. I'll cut straight to the chase…. don't watch this film. There are currently much better films on at the cinema at the moment, ...
newty1977 01.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Break-Up (DVD)
Advantages: true to life Disadvantages: a bit long
The Break Up is a movie I have wanted to see for a while because it has the lovely Vince Vaughn in it, and I wanted to see what his on-screen chemistry is like with Jennifer Aniston as they are going out in real life, despite attempts to cover up their romance. The movie has been pretty much slated by film critics, but as you all know, I don’t pay attention to the likes of them, I like to find out for myself, be it a waste of time or not….
... ...a big old fight over the washing up and Brooke dumps Gary in the hope that he will realise his mistakes and try harder with their relationship. Instead though, the couple end up engaging in all-out war, as both refuse to move out of their shared apartment. They both indulge in spiteful trickery to get to each other, but as they are both so stubborn end up actually having to put the ‘condo’ on the market. So, will they realise their mistakes ...
fabulous_girl 09.08.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Break-Up (DVD)
Advantages: realistic Disadvantages: the acting wasn't outstanding and engaging enough
...good romantic comedy directed by the American film director Peyton Reed. His last success was the Yes man starring Jim Carrey. The screenplay was written by Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Garelick and Jay Lavender. I usually don’t like when the director and the screenplay writer is the same person (Trust the men) and I think it is not an advantage when the leading actor and the screenplay writer are the same (Love N’ Dancing). Well this film was better than ... ...The classification of this film is 12 years and over because of the sex references and the strong language. The film was made in USA and the running time is 102 minutes. It was released in November 2006. Main cast: -------------- Jennifer Aniston – Brooke Meyers Vince Vaughn – Gary Grobowski Joey Lauren Adams – Addie Jones (Brooke’s best friend) Jon Favreau – Johnny Ostrofski (Gary’s best friend) The plot: ------------- Gary works as a partner and ...
D_i_a_n_e 02.11.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Break-Up (DVD)
Advantages: Different, funny. Disadvantages: could be a bit more to the plot...
...DVD.
■The Movie■
The concept of the film was very simple a happy couple together enjoying life with one and other and then one day, something gets out of hand and they fall out, the break up, the end. Done. Review Over.
■The Story
But of course it's not as simple as that! The film starts with a little clip of the two meeting followed by a lot of photo shots of their happy two years together so there's no wasting time really ... ...place which is good. The haste of getting to the actual breaking up shows that there is a lot to happen in the rest of the film which is always good.
The scene is set in Chicago where Gary, a simp[le young man, works for the firm 'The Three Brothers' as a highly successful and much loved tour bus commentator giving guided tours around the city with the help of a few laughs. The ambitious firm plans to go seawards and skywards giving tours of the ...
danfellowes 26.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Break-Up (DVD)
Advantages: Different take on a dull genre, strong performances from cast. Disadvantages: Lacks humour, more rom than com.
...to constant strain and argument. The couple's confrontation comes to a head at a family dinner that leads to the break down of their relationship. With neither willing to make concessions or back down this looks like the end for Gary and Brooke. "The Break Up" is a rom-com in reverse as we watch the decline of Gary and Brooke's relationship. The implosion of their loved up relationship makes for a far more interesting story than your standard boy ... ...me wrong, Vaughn is still the same arrogant yet charming character he usually plays and Aniston is still typecast as Rachel from "Friends" but it is all toned down a bit and works well. Although the film is not devoid of humour it is more from the supporting characters of best friends with Jon Favreau (Pete from "Friends") playing a slightly psychotic Johnny O with glee and John Michael Higgins hamming it up as Brooke's vocal harmony obsessed brother. ...
Shortsharpshock 26.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Break-Up (DVD)
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Advantages: For her fans two Jennifer Aniston films, unusual premises Disadvantages: Preposterous stories that don't hold interest throughout
My partner loves the long running (and forever running in repeats) television series Friends. Jennifer Aniston played Rachel, who was one of my partner?s six favourite characters in the show. Several of those actors have moved on to films with variable success with Jennifer seemingly the most prolific. So when my partner spotted this Jennifer double bill in a two disc DVD format for the bargain price of £5, it was immediately purchased. Having not really seen many of her films, I was interested to see if she was able to distance herself from the ultra familiar Rachel persona.
BREAKUP
At the start of this DVD, you are given the choice of ?His? or ?Hers?, implying you can view two different versions. However, there did not appear to be any difference in the subsequent story whichever choice you make to view. It would have been nice ...
Advantages: A decent central concept and some strong one-liners Disadvantages: Poorly executed, with some dreadful characterisation and iffy acting
-screen chemistry. I know the film is called "The Break-Up", but one of the major issues is that we only see the very end of the relationship. The preceding two years are summed up in a short scene that shows how they first met and an emotionally barren montage of photographs. So you never invest in their relationship, making it difficult to care if they get back together. The tone is set by their constant vindictiveness and back-biting so they never come across as likeable characters. Although director Peyton Reed has tolerable comic timing and his cast deliver their pithy lines well ("My sister's been through a lot!" says Brooke "Of dick!" retorts Gary), there isn't enough sweet to temper the overriding bitterness of the film and it leaves a sour taste in the mouth. The result is that you can't empathise with the characters because of their constant ...
Advantages: an easy film to watch Disadvantages: no comedy, not what i expected.
The breakup was advertised as a very funny, exiting film that made me want to watch it more and more everytime i saw the advertisement on tv. As i started to watch the film with Brooke(Jennifer aniston) and Gary(Vince Vaughn) threw a dinner party for their parents and family it seemed slightly boring and, as most people do when the start is rubbish, i thought 'it will proberly get better as it goes on'. After 30 mins or so there was no comedy value to it what so ever. When Brooke started to date other men to make Gary jealous the film got more and more unreal. i think the only funny part to the film is when brooke had a bikini wax and walked around the house naked to intise Gary into liking her again. it didnt work. now if you look at the cover and the anolouge of the film you would think that it is a funny film. I wanted to keep ...
Contains one use of strong language and moderate sex references
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Plot
Gary and Brooke are a mismatched couple who meet, develop a seemingly contented relationship, and buy a beautiful condo together. Soon a fight triggers the title event, and they argue and play mind games as they battle over ownership of their beloved condo--and try to decide whether or not they really want this to be the end.
Feature commentary with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, Deleted scenes, Extended scenes, Outtakes, Alternate ending
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Professional reviews
Review
...a seriously high class rom-com (News of the World, 12/09/2006)
Vaughn and Fav are still money when it comes to comic improv: check out the gold they mine in their final shared scene (Total Film, 20/09/2006)
DVD Description
Despite its seemingly classic date-movie setup, THE BREAK UP bucks romantic comedy tradition at almost every turn. Gary (Vince Vaughn) and Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) are a mismatched couple who meet, develop a seemingly contented relationship, and buy a beautiful condo together within the movie's first few minutes. Soon an all-too-believable fight triggers the title event, and they spend the rest of the movie alternately arguing and playing mind games as they battle over ownership of their beloved condo--and try to decide whether or not they really want this to be the end. In one of the movie's more dangerous yet courageous twists, neither Vaughn nor Aniston play especially likable characters. They never become unpleasant to watch, though, thanks largely to their formidable reservoirs of charisma. Vaughn is a master of the unkempt, immature, and hilarious everyman (OLD SCHOOL, THE WEDDING CRASHERS), while Aniston radiates bewildered decency, even in prickly roles (THE GOOD GIRL, FRIENDS WITH MONEY). Both of them are engaging presences, even when the movie veers away from comedy and into a kind of painful realism, as Gary and Brooke get caught up in a bitter and mean-spirited cycle of fighting that neither of them can win. The script's few weak patches are usually saved by the tremendous supporting cast, including ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT's Jason Bateman as the couple's realtor, Judy Davis as Brooke's boss, John Michael Higgins as her irrepressible, sexually ambiguous brother, and Jon Favreau as Gary's best friend, in scenes that effortlessly recapture some of the duo's SWINGERS chemistry. Peyton Reed, the director of the underrated DOWN WITH LOVE, isn't afraid to make his romantic comedy both unromantic and, occasionally, depressingly truthful, but thanks to the group of actors assembled here, watching a relationship unravel has rarely been more enjoyable.
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