(6) COUPLES RETREAT with Vince Vaughn, Kristen Bell, Jean Reno, Kristin Davis, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kali Hawk, Tasha Smith, Carlos Ponce and Peter Serafinowicz. Directed by Peter Billingsley (The Bridge, Walmer Park, The Boardwalk and the Garden Route Mall).

VINCE Vaughn seems to love making films about relationships in crisis. Following the success of The Break-up, his latest effort (which he co-wrote and co-produced as well as starring in) puts four marriages in jeopardy at a luxury couples therapy resort.

The film starts by introducing us to four couples – one of which seems to be doing quite strong, while the other three seem to have major issues.

To the shock of the three “struggling couples”, Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kirsten Bell) announce that they are close to getting a divorce. They rope the other couples – Dave (Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman), Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kirsten Davis) and recently divorced Shane (Faizon Love) and his much younger girlfriend Trudy (Kali Hawk) – into attending a couples retreat on an island resort called Eden.

Needing the others’ financial support to attend the retreat, they claim that only Jason and Cynthia will have to go through the therapy, while the others can just enjoy the leisure activities. But on arrival, they discover this isn’t the case and all four couples find themselves in therapy, and the cracks in their marriages are exposed.

It’s one of those “comedies” where the director seems to think that arguments make for good humour, although there are a few genuinely funny moments.

None of the cast really sets the screen alight, and even Jean Reno as the head of the resort is a bit of a letdown.

If you’re the kind of person who really enjoys romantic comedies and find yourself emotionally involved in the action, hoping the characters will get their happily ever after, then you will probably enjoy this film.

But there is little new or original to make it stand out from the many other movies in the genre. – Reviewed by Leon Muston ARTS EDITOR mustonl@avusa.co.za