THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT - A comedy based around what seems normal now days.

The Five-Year Engagement is the film that we should have seen two weekends ago but didn't get chance to, so now I am giving you the review a week late meaning that this weeks film has temporarily been put on hold. Not that it really matters so let me tell you what I thought of this film. For starters the tagline I have presented above is in reference to the fact that many couples who are engaged are generally engaged for quite a while in today's society. Marriage isn't quite as big a deal as it was years ago so it strikes me as slightly odd as to how an entire film concept is based around a couple who are engaged for a period of time. Like I said now days this is quite normal, however I will brush that aside for the purpose of this film which I actually think is quite good.

The premise is obvious but the reason for the prolonged engagement is because the woman of the relationship has the opportunity for a fantastic career in a different state and the man is willing to go with despite it meaning he will be out of work. To avoid all confusion the couple in this film are Jason Segel and Emily Blunt. The match does seem slightly odd as Blunt looks far too gorgeous for a man like Segel, which if I was him I'd be tying her down a lot faster. The film starts off being very sweet and pleasant and it is when the couple go through their tough time where most of the humour kicks in. Most of it comes from Segel who transforms into a completely different person in the process of a man without a job. This is definitely where most of the laughs come from.

There are some moments that are laugh out loud hilarious but not quite as many as some of Segel's other films, which is a shame as he is on good form here. To start with though the humour does seem very out of place, and many of the moments are forced with the comedy having nothing to do with the story and with it simply being thrown in. This gets better towards the end of the film but in the first half this is the major problem. Another big problem is that the film is far too long for the genre it is aiming for. Many scenes could easily have been wiped and no one would have noticed. It is very generic for it's genre and you will all know that a pivotal moment will come where the couple may go their separate ways, but this comes far too late in the film meaning we have another third of the story to go. At just over 2 hours it is too long for a romantic comedy. This also affects the time span of the movie as it seemed that far too much went on in the five years that they are meant to be engaged for.

I was surprised to see Rhys Ifans in the film as I had not seen him billed for it, probably due to his involvement in The Amazing Spiderman. He is fairly good in his role as he is a character we are meant to hate and by the end of it I couldn't stand him. Chris Pratt is another who is their for comic relief and he is great as Segel's best friend. Segel and Blunt are also good in their roles with perhaps Segel being slightly better. Blunt is way better looking but at times she was annoying and I did begin to side with Segel's character. He also gets most of the funnier lines in the film, with his penis nearly getting a second outing like it did in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. 


All in all it was a pleasant film to watch. It did have me laughing at times, and I was drawn in by the chemistry between the characters. Don't see this if you are looking for anything more than a typical rom-com style film as this is all it really is. It isn't bad it isn't great but it is one of those films I could watch again and again and never really get bored. Oh and guys if you are engaged to your partner, perhaps this isn't the film to see!




Pros: Some laugh out loud moments and a very easy, pleasant watch. Also Blunt looks stunning.

Cons: Too long for a romantic comedy.

6 / 10


Top 10 of 2012 so far:


1. The Hunger Games     8 / 10
2. Snow White And The Huntsman     8 / 10
3. Avengers Assemble     7.5 / 10
4. 21 Jump Street     7.5 / 10
5. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol     7 / 10
6. The Grey     7 / 10
7. Prometheus     6.5 / 10
8. American Reunion     6 / 10
9. Safe House     6 / 10
10. The Five-Year Engagement     6 / 10