SAN DIEGO — Don’t be misled, as I was, by the previews. The Five Year Engagement, directed by Nicholas Stoller, has been promoted as a comedy, but it’s in reality a pretty unhappy drama.
It is about a couple who lives in San Francisco, Tom Solomon (Jason Segal, ) an aspiring sous chef and Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt)a soon-to-be professor at the University of Michigan, who decide after knowing each other for a year to get married. However, fate intervenes and the engagement lasts five years.
Soon after the proposal, Violet gets her dream job in Michigan. Tom sacrifices his career to accompany her there, but eventually he becomes depressed in his new situation. Despite themselves, the couple grows apart.
At times I felt I was watching a documentary. Many couples face problems in their relationship like cheating, arguments, and having one person being happier than the other. Jason Segal displayed a variety of emotions in his portrayal of Tom giving up everything for the sake of his lover. Emily Blunt also acted the part well, presenting a character who made herself believe taking the job was a good decision for them both.
However, the reason I paid $9.25 to watch this movie was because I believed it was going to be as funny as the previews. When I watched the movie, I felt that the previews lied to me. While there were a few comedic moments in the movie, what the previews should have shown were the struggles of having a prolonged engagement.
If you’re looking for a comedy, go pay to see another movie.
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Asuncion is arts editor of the GC Summit. He may be contacted at [email protected]