Writer: Nur Safina Othman

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Watch this if you liked: "Wedding Crashers"

"Couples Retreat" is no different from other romantic comedy films. Nevertheless, the lineup of well-known Hollywood actors in the movie does make newbie director Peter Bilingsley's first feature film much more entertaining.

The movie tells of four couples on a vacation to the island resort called Eden Island for some fun in the sun. Later when one of the couples, Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) undergo a therapy session to save their marriage, the other couples discover that they too are forced to abide by the hotel's program to carry forth with the counselling session.

Having starred in numerous comedies, actors Vince Vaughn and John Favreu who previously collaborated together in "Four Christmases" (2008), Faizon Love and Jason Bateman ("Juno" and popular TV series "Arrested Development") have not lost their touch as they manage to give a good performance that will make audiences laugh out loud. Although, it would've been good to see a difference in Vaughn's performance as compared to his previous works like "The Break-Up" and "Wedding Crashers".

Apart from the male actors, the lovely actresses in this one are also big names such as Kristen Bell ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), Kristin Davis ("Sex And The City"), Malin Akerman ("The Proposal") and Kali Hawk. It seemed as though these actresses were chosen more for their fit physique than their suitability for the roles as there are plenty of scenes were they bare their sexy bodies in bikinies. However, Kristen Bell stood out amongst the other girls with her more genuine approach to her character.

The movie kicked off to a great start, however lacked the punch to keep the interest going as there were issues in the movie that were solved and moved on too fast that could've been elaborated to make the story more engaging. If only director Peter Bilingsley could've managed to keep the interest going throughout as the beginning showed a promising introduction.

Overall, "Couples Retreat" is a romantic film that is best enjoyed when you don't have such high expectations on comedy - laughter will eventually follow at some point, no matter what age you are.


Cinema Online, 01 December 2009