FILM REVIEW: That Awkward Moment (Starring Zac Efron)
That Awkward Moment.
That
Awkward Moment is the first
‘brom-com’ ever to hits screens, starring Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B
Jordan. It’s rare to see a film about men with commitment issues that’s
actually from the perspective of a guy and it’s really refreshing to see
something different to the repetitive rom-coms that are released in waves,
especially at this time of year.
This film revolves around three guys, Jason
(Efron), Daniel (Teller) and Mikey (Jordan), who make a pact to stay single
together after Mikey’s wife files for divorce. Of course, things don’t go to plan,
as all three guys happen to find the perfect girl for them at the most
imperfect time.
The first few minutes of this brom-com were a
bit shaky and had me questioning everything about the film, but it quickly
turned into a laugh-out-loud, downright hilarious movie. At regular intervals
the entire cinema would burst out into laughter, sometimes with the characters,
but mostly at them. It’s full of typical ‘guy’ humour; be prepared to see
dildos (lots of them), and listen to
men talk about taking a dump. The phrase “You’re an idiot” is repeated numerous
times throughout the film and to be honest that’s the best way to describe the
behaviour of these guys, but damn their actions are hilarious.
For the most part, this film seems to give a
fairly realistic portrayal of the male mind, or at least the stereotypical version
of a mid-twenties bachelor. By no means do I think that this film gives an accurate
insight into the male mind or any sort of decent advice when it comes to dating
but it’s as realistic as a film like this needs to be. That said, there are a
few plot points that seem to take the stereotype a little too far. Of course,
this film is fuelled by testosterone but their loyalty to the mantra ‘bros over
hoes’ seems to be taken slightly too seriously in light of the events that
unfold.
That
Awkward Moment is supported
by a solid cast, with all three male protagonists giving strong performances. Efron
has successfully moved away from being typecast as Troy-from-High-School-Musical
having starred in numerous comedies and romances since then. There’s nothing
spectacular about Efron’s acting and it is the script that really carries this
film forwards; nevertheless, he still does a decent job as male lead. Whilst
Zac Efron is probably going to be the main source of publicity for this film,
Miles Teller, who plays Daniel, is the real star of this film and is
successfully making his way up, up and up in the film industry. Teller is
hilarious, like hilarious. His
character, Daniel, expresses pretty much every thought he ever thinks and
usually it’s stuff that should be kept private, but there’s something about him
that really draws you in and you can’t help but laugh.
Although the premise of this film is that
these three guys are going to have sex with as many random girls as possible,
the few sex scenes that there were in this film did not really add anything to
the plot. I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t enjoy seeing Zac Efron bare
chested and butt-naked, because, trust me,
I did, but I can’t help but feel the sex was just for sex’s sake and was just
unnecessary. Of course, the idea of romance plays a massive part in this film
too, but there’s only about 2 minutes worth of really mushy material. There’s
just enough romance to justify the ‘rom’ in ‘brom-com’, but this film
definitely leans more towards the comedy side of the spectrum. The jokes are
often crude and awkward but somehow this film just works.
 |
| Why hello there |
The ending left a lot to be desired which is
a shame because up until that point the film had gone from strength to
strength. The ending is pretty predictable, as with most films of this genre,
but the comedy is good enough to keep you entertained until the finale.
All in all, this is a fantastically hilarious
film, suitable for both guys and girls. Guys no longer need to hang their heads
in shame as they exit the cinema screen because the creation of the ‘brom-com’ means
that this film is filled with a sufficiently high level of testosterone to make
it male-friendly. You won’t exit the cinema screen feeling like you’ve learnt
anything at all about romance but you’ll get a pretty good one and half hour ab
exercise from all the laughing which makes it totally worth it.
In UK cinemas NOW!
US release date: 31st January 2014
*Ticket was received for free as part of the E4 Slackers Club. All opinion are my own.
Oh gosh Efron what did I just see! Haha. This sounds really fun, I've yet to watch the trailer (I'm going to right after this comment). I usually like brom-comish things as I find them hilarious so I can't wait to check this out. Too bad the ending didn't impress you much. Great review!
ReplyDelete-Mari
That still is one of the funniest scenes - you need to see it!! Hope you enjoyed the trailer and end up watching this. I thought it was a pretty funny film :))
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Hello last picture!
ReplyDeleteI heard many mixed reviews on this movie but am curious nevertheless. I think after your review I'll give it a go. :)
It's the sort of film that critics love to hate, but it's pretty darn entertaining in my opinion!
DeleteI don't know what it is about this film, I just don't think its been publicised very well. I just feel like I'd be wasting an evening but based on your review will be giving it a go.
ReplyDeleteThis probably isn't the sort of film I'd deliberately make time for but if you've got a spare hour and a half and are up for a laugh then this'll do the trick!
DeleteLoved this movie!
ReplyDeleteMy friends all think that I am crazy for wanting to see this movie, but now I feel justified! It looks incredibly silly and funny, and it seems to me that I was right! Thank you so much for your review. Now, I will try yet again to talk my friend into seeing this one with me!
ReplyDelete