“A romcom that rings true at last” Anthony Quinn, The Independent
Although saying their vows is very much at the forefront of their minds, a chain of unexpected events scuppers wedding plans for likeable couple Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt). Life, family and career all conspire to serially postpone their joyous celebration. As the months turn to years Tom and Violet become increasingly downbeat about the idea of matrimony, and as their problems mount their friends and families begin to lose hope of ever seeing them walk down the aisle together.
LISTEN UP HERE: What sounds like a run-of-the-mill romcom delivers satisfyingly and unexpectedly! At best you might hope for a soupçon of originality, an occasional giggle, and a degree of authenticity in a very good romcom; this scores on all three! Over to Anthony Quinn, The Independent, again: ”The Five-Year Engagement sets its face against the old tropes of traditional romantic comedy and its foolish enshrinement of “perfection”. It is altogether more humble, and more truthful, in charting the pitfalls of modern coupledom. To be selfish in the pursuit of ambition and fulfilment or to be a martyr in facilitating your partner’s? Can one find a middle ground? In doing so the film also gets to grips with the difficult subject of self-worth, difficult for American movies, that is, which so often confuse it with self-entitlement. Feelings of wistfulness, of frustration and disappointment, underlie the comedy of this long engagement, and it’s a mark of the nuanced script and performances that the outcome actually begins to matter to us.”
Go on, go and enjoy it!
