Couples Retreat (2009)

A comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort's therapy sessions is not optional.

Director:

Peter Billingsley

Writers:

Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn,

Stars:

Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vince Vaughn	...	Dave
Jason Bateman	...	Jason Smith
Faizon Love	...	Shane
Jon Favreau	...	Joey
Malin Akerman	...	Ronnie
Kristen Bell	...	Cynthia
Kristin Davis	...	Lucy
Kali Hawk	...	Trudy
Tasha Smith	...	Jennifer
Carlos Ponce	...	Salvadore
Peter Serafinowicz	...	Sctanley
Jean Reno	...	Marcel
Temuera Morrison	...	Briggs
Jonna Walsh	...	Lacey
Gattlin Griffith	...	Robert

Storyline

Dave and Ronnie, Jason and Cynthia, and Joey and Lucy are close. The group used to include Shane and Jennifer, but they divorced and she's gone. Jason and Cynthia announce that their marriage is in trouble, and they beg their friends (and Shane's young girlfriend) to join them on a couples' retreat, at the package rate, on a tropical island. The others reluctantly agree, planning to play while Jason and Cynthia work on their marriage with an island psychologist. To everyone's surprise, the package is inflexible: each couple must participate in the couples' exercises. Soon fault lines appear in all four relationships. What's in store for each couple?

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Plot Keywords:

couple | marriage | island | tropical | friendship | 

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Taglines:

It may be paradise... but it's no vacation.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [es]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Vince Vaughn Project

Filming Locations:

Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,825,142 (UK) (16 October 2009)

Gross:

$109,176,215 (USA) (29 January 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Wild West Picture Show Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A controversy arose when the UK posters were released and black actors Faizon Love and Kali Hawk had been removed. Universal claimed the change was to highlight actors who were more recognizable by UK audiences, but apologized for any offense and changed plans to use the modified poster in other countries.

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Goofs

When Shane is over at Eden East trying to find Trudie, he is telling his ex-wife "I got a lot of friends because, I'm the way I am", but his mouth is not moving.

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Quotes

Kevin: Help me get my shirt off!

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Crazy Credits

The opening Universal logo is in monochrome

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 10 October 2009 (2009)

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Soundtracks

"MODERN LOVE"
Written and Performed by David Bowie
Courtesy of RZO Music

User Reviews

DVD bargain bins beckon

I'm unsure what is more worrying, that Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau starred in such a mediocre comedy or the fact that they wrote it. Good friends and regular collaborators Vaughn and Favreau have had mixed results in their working partnership: Swingers is a bona-fide cult classic which tore up the indie circuit back in 1996; Made was a disappointment to all those expecting Swingers 2; The Break-Up was a successful guilty pleasure and Four Holidays (Four Christmases in the US) flopped massively at the US box-office. Where does Retreat fit in? Somewhere near Four Holidays – but at least they didn't also write that.

The target audience was obviously never decided upon as the humour seems to cater for everyone. One minute there are mature, real life moments that firmly fit into the "funny because it's true" category, the next there are gags revolving around untimely erections and masturbation that would be right at home in American Pie. Done in the right way and on their own either of these forms of comedy can be brilliant, however mixing them together makes for a muddled experience. There are a few hilarious scenes – the yoga session undoubtedly the most memorable – just nowhere near enough.

Of the cast Vaughn and Akerman come out best, their natural chemistry and adroit comic timing going a long way to keeping the movie afloat. The others don't fare so well. Favreau needs to leave the acting business and focus on writing and directing, it is practically impossible for him to be amusing on screen. Bateman, Bell, Davis and Love all fail to ever get us laughing, whilst the extended cameo from Jean Reno is possibly the worst stuff the experienced Frenchman has ever put on celluloid.

If you are looking for an easy comedy with fabulous locations (and women) then this might do the trick, but I definitely could not recommend spending your had earned cash to see this at the cinema. DVD bargain bins beckon.

2 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)