Organnall
Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,
Peereddi
I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
casstanhope_13
Jon Favreau, Vince Vaught, Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman and Jean Reno all co-star in the 2009 romantic comedy Couples Retreat. The cast members are paired as couples and the film begins in the home of Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristin Bell) with a presentation on why they need a vacation. Starting with the fact that their marriage is on the rocks, they also explain they are having trouble having a child. After finishing the whole slide show the twist is that this couple can only go on this trip if their group of friends goes along with them.After a few convincing talks all the couples take the trip to paradise. The film is set on a gorgeous island and many birds eye view or extremely high camera angles are used to capture the entire beauty of the island where they believe they will be spending and enjoyable and easy vacation. The couples soon realize that their friends Cynthia and Jason have in fact taken them to a tropical paradise, but left out the part that the trip will also be filled with couples therapy and bonding experiences. The director Peter Billingsley does a good job of using high and low camera angles to catch each expression on of the actors as they find out what this wonderful vacation is really all about. He also used wide angles to capture they group reaction to each other and to that of their instructors during each exercise. None of the couples take the exercises with their therapist and instructors seriously except for the neurotic couple Jason and Cynthia.After a long day of therapy the couples learn that this island is not only their side (Eden West) but there is also a singles side (Eden East). The couples decide to make the trip to go and explore the singles area of the island and have a little fun. After a fight about numerous life problems Cynthia leaves in an uproar. The women follow Cynthia and the men with Jason. The women make it to the waterfall fine and run into a handsome man that works for the hotel. They all share drinks and begin to tell him their problems and as a person on the facility he helps them as he flirts his way into more details about each ladies lives.Meanwhile the men have found the cottage of one of their therapist. During the day he seems very pronounced and respected. However they find that he is no more than a geek who loves to play guitar hero.Dave of the men on trip challenges the therapist to a duel if he win they are pointed to the waterfall and no one needs to know they were there and if the therapist wins then he will leave immediatelyThe acting in this movie was great, and although these were not real couples they made every seen realistic and believable. However they worked well together and I was in stitches during the entire film. The director knew how to play with lighting and scenery to feel romance, frustration, totally awkward, and perfectly at piece. The land scape was picked very well for this movie and they story line and twist made it all the more enjoyable.Overall I would recommend this movie. The placement of the camera was great, the scenery was gorgeous and the actors and actresses really know how to make a movie enjoyable. I would recommend this movie to any audience and be ready to laugh.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I will be honest and say that I think I was more interested in the good cast of stars more than much else about this film, and I had seen that the critics gave it rather low ratings, but I was prepared to give it a go anyway. Basically four couples are focused: married Guitar Hero dealer Dave (Vince Vaughn) and stay at home mother Ronnie (The Heartbreak Kid's Malin Akerman), Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Kristen Bell) who are trying and failing to conceive, married high school sweethearts Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Sex and the City's Kristin Davis), and recently separated from his wife Shane (Elf's Faizon Love) and his twenty year old girlfriend Trudy (Kali Hawk). All the couples have something in common, they are struggling to make their relationships work and some of their passion is fading, so as part of a four couples package they travel together to a couples' retreat on a tropical island. It is obvious that Jason and Cynthia really want to go with the program and sort their marriage that is in trouble, while the other couples just want to take in the sights and have fun in the sun, they assume that the couples' exercises will be simple talk together sessions, but they are wrong. The program devised by resort owner Marcel (Jean Reno) requires the couples to get up very early in the morning, take part in strenuous yoga exercise sessions, and more unusual methods of communication and trust, including swimming with sharks. In the process Ronnie and Dave thought they were fine but realise there are some problems, Joey is keen to explore the opposite island for single people where they indulge in a lot of sex, Trudy is keen perhaps to find another kind of man, and the others are in and out of the program trying to sort things out. Resort host Sctanley (Peter Serafinowicz) threatens to report the bad vibes between the couples to Marcel, but following a game of Guitar Hero they all sort themselves out and complete the therapy, and reestablishing their love for each other they are all allowed to enjoy a vacation in the tropics. Also starring Tasha Smith as Jennifer, Carlos Ponce as Salvadore and Temuera Morrison as Briggs. The cast I suppose do alright, there are some amusing moments when the couples are together trying to sort their disagreements and reignite their love, but it is all predictable, the characters are a little stereotypical, and there are not enough great jokes in the script or to watch, a disappointing relationship comedy. Okay!
Adam Cinelioglu
I'm not a fan of this genre of film - but Couples Retreat never fails to bore me!It is a much higher standard of a romantic comedy, and has deeper levels than all the wash and reused story lines of most terrible films within this genre that often get high reviews undeservedly.The characters all have their share of screen time and the chemistry between the whole group works hilariously !! No one tries to steal camera time, and the cast doesn't trip over each other in an attempt to try and be the funniest, they give each other space and the interaction works so organically to the situations within the film.The length of the movie is longer than most romantic comedies as well which is not a problem, but is instead a fantastic opportunity for such a genre to actually explore the individual relationships more personally, instead of using the same old relationship issues that we usually see.I usually pick and choose which actors/actresses I preferred in this movie, but all of the cast just clicked so well for me and kept the movie interesting.A really fun movie, great to watch and watch again and again. A fantastic escape with hilarious results and down-to-earth relationship conflicts. A fresh approach to romantic comedies and a brave leap into new waters (no pun intended), and most of all - a success!Definitely worth a watch! (or three!)
richieandsam
COUPLES RETREATIt was alright.It's a comedy about a couple who are considering divorce, so decide to go to a retreat where there is are therapy sessions that would help them decide if they should separate or work on their relationship... they take 3 of their friends with them who only go for the holiday and end up having a nightmare.The movie stars Vince Vaughn. I quite like Vince, but the only problem is he has no range. All of his roles are the same. He can't change his personality. The movie also stars Jason Bateman, Faizon Love & Jon Favreau. They all did good jobs. I thought they were quite good. The ladies also did good jobs. Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis & Kali Hawk. But I have to say my favourite character in the movie was Salvadore, played by Carlos Ponce. He was by far the funniest character in the movie. His yoga class was really funny.The film was entertaining, but the problem is, it wasn't that funny. For a comedy, there was only 1 laugh out loud moment. I was hoping it would have been funnier.I will give this film 6 out of 10.Entertaining, but disappointing at the same time.For more of my reviews, please like my Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Person-Movie- Reviews/456572047728204?ref=hl
