The Five-Year Engagement is a lot like the uneven relationship it depicts: awkward and sweet, unrealistically romantic and depressingly harsh, a throwback to classic comedies and a tentative step towards contemporary gender roles, trying to do a lot and often not doing it perfectly. But overall, this film has a lot of heart and a lot of laughs, and could be one of the best efforts at a modern day romantic comedy in years.

The movie shows Tom (Jason Segal) and Violet (Emily Blunt) as they navigate (you guessed it) five years of engagement to be married. Soon after Tom pops the question, Violet gets offered a spot in a prestigious post doc program in Michigan; so they put the wedding plans on hold, and Tom gives up his life as a successful San Francisco chef to go with her. As her career takes over and he adapts poorly to a life of hunting and not-haute-cuisine, their relationship begins to unravel under the pressure.

If you think this doesn’t sound like enough to fill two hours, you’re right. The film definitely drags at points, but has plenty of sketch comedy energy to keep it going throughout. Hilarious supporting performances from Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Kevin Hart (who currently has two top five motion pictures at the box office), Mindy Kaling, Randall Park, Brian Posehn, and many others are invaluable.

Coming from Get Him To The Greek director Nick Stoller and executive producer Judd Apatow, this is one of few films in the Apatow lineage to focus on a romantic relationship instead of a friendship. Everything works out much to neatly in the end- this is a rom com after all- but the bumps along the way were so drastic and heartfelt that I didn’t mind. If this is what it looks like when the Apatow man-child grows up and struggles with adult relationships and responsibilities, it might have a bright and meaningful future ahead.

Did you see The Five-Year Engagement? What did you think?

Bookmark to: