Couples Retreat (Peter Billingham, 2009)

Cast: Vince Vaughan, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Jean Reno

Plot: Three couples travel to a world-renowned exotic resort which specialises in new-age couples therapy. Barely comedic hijinks ensure.

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As bland and fake as a comedy can get, though it's at least a bit funnier and less head-achingly pointless than the last couple of Vince Vaughan vehicles. This one also 'beneifts' from his tiresome motormouth routine, though the cast surrounding him are likeable, despite their thinly drawn characters. This treads an awkward line between sentimental relationship film and wacky mix of therapy satire and holiday slapstick. The plot gets really, really stupid and lazy later on (the logic nadir being when divorcee Faizon Love inexplicably bumps into his long-gone ex-wife on the retreat), but before that it's fairly harmless, even if it struggles to even raise a smile. The only laughs it does manage are from a colourful, well-acted trio of staff caricatures: Peter Seranefowicz's magisterial resort manager, John Michael Higgins as an easily horrified therapist and Carlos Ponce as the over-tactile yoga instructor ("Encouragement!"). not sure why Jean Reno turned up though.

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