The Five-Year Engagement - Review

We have ourselves here yet another Judd Apatow production with the same problem that all of them have been diagnosed with: a distended running time of over two hours. Instead of using the basic technique of a three act, 90 minute movie, the audience has to sit through a slog of pointless subplots that go nowhere and a plethora of unfunny jokes. I'm not insinuating that THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT is a complete and utter bust as a comedy, because it is often pretty humorous when it is not dealing with the real dramas of a relationship. However, it just feels like a chore sometimes to watch this, especially since the basic outline of the film is extremely formulaic for a so-called original romantic comedy.


Jason Segel and Emily Blunt celebrate their one year anniversary as a couple on New Year's Eve by getting engaged. Factors begin to stall their glorious celebration of love from happening, such as a sudden pregnancy turned marriage between Segel's best friend/fellow chef Chris Pratt and Blunt's sister Alison Brie and a couple of funerals. The biggest delay comes when Blunt is finally able to use her degree in psychology when she receives a position at the University of Michigan. Segel makes the sacrifice to suspend his career for her's, only to learn that he inadvertently passes up a job as a head chef at a new restaurant. Stuck in the coldly confines of Michigan, the couple struggles to finally seal the deal when charismatic professors, quirky locals, crushed dreams, and rampant jealously constantly distract and interfere with their lives.


The best thing about the film is its large cast, who all easily bring out the laughs and dramatics. There is a great richness in talent, ranging from Kevin Hart and Mindy Kaling as Blunt's fellow colleagues to Brian Posehn and Chris Parnell as mentally troubled but amiable neighbors. Of course, the heart of the story does come from the excellent chemistry between Segel and Blunt. I seemed to enjoyed Pratt and Brie better though, who are first positioned as idiots at love but later become a lovely couple and capable parents compared to the protagonists. These two actors always make me smile when they appear, whether when they are doing a parody of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" or shouting at their sister while role-playing as Elmo respectively.


Too bad the material can't always work for the actors. Rhys Ifans, as Blunt's head professor, just has to become a possible love interest for her while Segel gets some weird girl, who will clearly confuse viewers because she is briefly introduced and quickly forgotten about until the script says she should come back for a tedious and unfunny sequence at a specific shop. Not to have just one plot-stopper, we also have to experience another pointless love interest for Segel in the third act. The worst, however, is reserved for a crappy subplot where Segel turns into a mountain-man, complete with a bushy beard, and ends with a misguided slapstick gag. Jason Segel did himself no favors writing this film with director Nicholas Stoller, who both achieved way better results with FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL.


It is very unfortunate that THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT is unable to motivate its capabilities beyond being simply a weekend rental for a couple. There is some powerful moments and fantastic jokes in here, muddled down significantly by tedious tropes and padded-out non-punchlines. There better not be a director's cut release in the future, unless it is an invitation to more cuts to this bloated movie.



FINAL REVIEW: 3 / 5