The Five-Year Engagement

Getting married is one of the biggest commitments two people can make, and typically the first big step to the altar is the proposal. Once the initial excitement wears off, it’s time to delve into the madness that is planning a wedding. Depending on the couple, engagements can last anywhere from a few hours to a few years. For recent lovers Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt), their engagement is going on five years. For them, something always seems to be getting in the way of planning their wedding. Then again, is there ever a perfect moment to do so?

The Five-Year Engagement is a romantic comedy about a couple who can’t seem to take the leap and pick a date to get married. It’s not that they don’t want to. Their lives just don’t seem to perfectly match up for a wedding. As the days drift on, more and more things seem to impede their relationship. Violet becomes caught up in her job doing psychological studies at college, and Tom gives up his wonderful chef job in San Francisco to move across the country with her. Meanwhile, all their loved ones are either getting married themselves and having kids or kicking the bucket in the case of their grandparents.

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt completely make the film. Their chemistry on screen is simply fantastic and feels real. You get to experience all the up and downs of their rollercoaster of a relationship, often with hilarious results. Segel’s character is impacted the most, as we see him go from a top five-star chef to a bearded huntsman. At times it’s downright sad, but you can’t help but laugh.

The film does drag on a bit towards the end, but there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to keep you occupied. Director Nicholas Stoller, who has worked previously with Segel on The Muppets and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, delivers one of the best romantic comedies of the year. It’s witty and has just the right amount of raunchy humor. A lot of it also comes from the superb supporting cast, whether it’s Chris Pratt singing Spanish love songs to his bride or Rhys Ifans doing parkour in a back alley that would make Michael Scott jealous.

Most romantic comedies dial up the cheese factor and are light on the laughs but The Five-Year Engagement manages to deliver in every aspect. Don’t wait too long to see this movie because it may be gone before you know it.

Follow me on Twitter @Majiesto