Aniston, Vaughn entertain in 'The Break-Up'
9:46 a.m. Friday, June 2, 2006
With all the tabloid attention devoted to the new relationship between Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, it's reassuring to know their off-camera partnership has resulted in a decent on-camera collaboration. In other words, their new romantic comedy, "The Break-Up," is no "Gigli." Rather, it's an entertaining, believable account of what happens to a Chicago couple when they split, but are financially compelled to keep sharing the same condo.
Vaughn plays Gary, a motor-mouthed tour guide who charms Aniston's Brooke, a manager at a snooty art gallery.
He's clever and fun, she's sophisticated and gorgeous.
But, he's also self-centered and addicted to "SportsCenter" and video games. And she's high-strung and demanding.
Inevitably, they break up and spend the rest of the movie in a duel of one-upmanship to try and drive the other one crazy.
The plot, which Vaughn co-wrote, doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel. But it gives the actors a great showcase for their talents - especially the towering Vaughn, who revels in the aggressive, hipster conversations that have defined his cinematic persona.
The film also features some hilarious supporting roles by Vincent D'Onofrio, Judy Davis and Vaughn's long-standing "Swingers" co-star Jon Favreau as a bartender whose romantic advice veers between perceptive and something a hit man might say.
And unlike most Hollywood romances, "The Break-Up" leads to a satisfying, though unconventional finale.
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