That Awkward Moment
Directed by: Tom Gormican
Written by: Tom Gormican
Starring: Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Imogen Poots, Mackenzie Davis, Jessica Lucas, Addison Timlin, Josh Pais, Evelina Turen, Tina Benko, Joseph Adams
Comedy/Romance - 94 min
Written by: Tom Gormican
Starring: Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Imogen Poots, Mackenzie Davis, Jessica Lucas, Addison Timlin, Josh Pais, Evelina Turen, Tina Benko, Joseph Adams
Comedy/Romance - 94 min
Sex and the City is no longer solely reserved for the ladies. That Awkward Moment exploits the same concept of a small, tight-knit group of friends navigating a mostly self-imposed obstacle course through the opposite sex; but this time it is a set of boys in their early twenties with an emotional age roughly half that.
Only in a contrived romantic comedy would a band of brothers strike a grand bargain to claim no woman as his girlfriend. Their goal is to maintain a rotating roster of one night stands always subtly shoving the lady aside when that eponymous awkward moment rolls around when she logically inquires about the status of their relationship. I can see how 16 year olds might find this idea ingenious and certainly high-fiveable, but men, especially young professionals out of college should have evolved past this point by now.
Jason (Zac Efron) and his best buddy Daniel (Miles Teller) design book covers; how cute is that right? This is a step down from Carrie Bradshaw’s witty quips and puns from her column for the single ladies. Their other best bud, Mikey (Michael B. Jordan), is a young doctor who just had the rug pulled out from under him when his wife tells him she wants out. Too many hours at the hospital? Not enough time escorting the wife to dinner and a movie? Whatever the reasons, Mikey must remain the third wheel in this story because we have Zac Efron to watch skulk around the city ready to poach the next unlucky lady for his roster.
In the opposite of a meet-cute, Jason hooks up with Ellie (Imogen Poots) through a back and forth conversation you would never be able to have at a crowded bar, sleeps with her, mistakes her for a prostitute, and gets the heck out of Dodge. This is a rom-com though, what are the odds that Ellie is a novelist and is looking for a book cover designer? Raise your hands if you want to swallow this pill whole or want me to cut it up for you first.
Each group must have the identifiable lewd and crude one of the bunch and Daniel stakes his claim to the territory ruled by Kim Cattrall’s Samantha for the last decade. Employed for the most part as Jason’s tag along, Daniel gets the funny lines and along with his frat brothers in arms, mostly cheats his way through their no girlfriend/no serious relationship scheme. Each gentleman in his own way disregards the main tenant of the bro pact until the end when one of them uses the pact’s ideals to not only do something that in reality would be unforgiveable, but also torpedoes the tie that binds.
Aside for the inane plot and lazy set ups, there are a couple of truly hysterical moments that shore up the com part of rom-com. Negotiating tricky maneuvers while attempting to relieve themselves whilst undergoing the effects of Viagra and a disastrous mix-up of what sort of ‘dress up’ party one of the guy’s attends will make you laugh. Listening to British actress Imogen Potts’s drawling American accent though should make for a sobering come down from all of that laughter however.
The rest of the casting is also a come down from last year. This movie is straight down Zac Efron’s wheelhouse but what are Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, 2013) and Michael B. Jordan (The Wire, Fruitvale Station, 2013) doing here? I know The Spectacular Now and Fruitvale Station were not exactly mainstream fare, but they were original and fresh and everything That Awkward Moment is not.
There is room out there to create the male Sex and the City. Unfortunately, That Awkward Moment swings and misses in its attempt to steal the magic formula. Sex and the City requires a heightened level of culture, empathy, and life experience; all characteristics that our boys here have none of.
Only in a contrived romantic comedy would a band of brothers strike a grand bargain to claim no woman as his girlfriend. Their goal is to maintain a rotating roster of one night stands always subtly shoving the lady aside when that eponymous awkward moment rolls around when she logically inquires about the status of their relationship. I can see how 16 year olds might find this idea ingenious and certainly high-fiveable, but men, especially young professionals out of college should have evolved past this point by now.
Jason (Zac Efron) and his best buddy Daniel (Miles Teller) design book covers; how cute is that right? This is a step down from Carrie Bradshaw’s witty quips and puns from her column for the single ladies. Their other best bud, Mikey (Michael B. Jordan), is a young doctor who just had the rug pulled out from under him when his wife tells him she wants out. Too many hours at the hospital? Not enough time escorting the wife to dinner and a movie? Whatever the reasons, Mikey must remain the third wheel in this story because we have Zac Efron to watch skulk around the city ready to poach the next unlucky lady for his roster.
In the opposite of a meet-cute, Jason hooks up with Ellie (Imogen Poots) through a back and forth conversation you would never be able to have at a crowded bar, sleeps with her, mistakes her for a prostitute, and gets the heck out of Dodge. This is a rom-com though, what are the odds that Ellie is a novelist and is looking for a book cover designer? Raise your hands if you want to swallow this pill whole or want me to cut it up for you first.
Each group must have the identifiable lewd and crude one of the bunch and Daniel stakes his claim to the territory ruled by Kim Cattrall’s Samantha for the last decade. Employed for the most part as Jason’s tag along, Daniel gets the funny lines and along with his frat brothers in arms, mostly cheats his way through their no girlfriend/no serious relationship scheme. Each gentleman in his own way disregards the main tenant of the bro pact until the end when one of them uses the pact’s ideals to not only do something that in reality would be unforgiveable, but also torpedoes the tie that binds.
Aside for the inane plot and lazy set ups, there are a couple of truly hysterical moments that shore up the com part of rom-com. Negotiating tricky maneuvers while attempting to relieve themselves whilst undergoing the effects of Viagra and a disastrous mix-up of what sort of ‘dress up’ party one of the guy’s attends will make you laugh. Listening to British actress Imogen Potts’s drawling American accent though should make for a sobering come down from all of that laughter however.
The rest of the casting is also a come down from last year. This movie is straight down Zac Efron’s wheelhouse but what are Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, 2013) and Michael B. Jordan (The Wire, Fruitvale Station, 2013) doing here? I know The Spectacular Now and Fruitvale Station were not exactly mainstream fare, but they were original and fresh and everything That Awkward Moment is not.
There is room out there to create the male Sex and the City. Unfortunately, That Awkward Moment swings and misses in its attempt to steal the magic formula. Sex and the City requires a heightened level of culture, empathy, and life experience; all characteristics that our boys here have none of.
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