Spring Views...

Wanderlust- 3 stars ***
My friend and I decided we wanted to go to the cinema, and this was all that was on that took our fancy. I hadn't heard much about it, but the cast was pretty decent, and it is directed by David Wain who did Role Models, so I thought it would be at least average.

The story follows a high-flying couple, George and Linda, living in Manhattan, who after one of them loses their job decide to go on a soul searching trip for a while. Along the way, they stumble across a commune called Elysium, where people live freely. This means there is no electricity, media or standard rules in place that communities usually live by; so if you want to walk around naked screaming the national anthem, you can do. After getting high on the first night and letting themselves go they decide to stay for a while.

In the morning, whilst adjusting to their new surroundings, Linda finds herself settling in nicely. The same can't be said for George, who finds it weird that people happily share sexual partners, and misses using his mobile phone and GPS system. He agrees to give it a go for Linda's sake, and they agree to take up the lifestyle wholeheartedly, so much so that Linda sleeps with the communes 'leader', the slightly arrogant Seth. She urges George to sleep with the gorgeous Eva to make things even, but he fails to do so, and so it causes friction for the couple and they have to work through their troubles in order to stay together.

This was actually a good film. Though the plot wasn't massively complex, there were some really funny parts to it, and Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd who played the lead characters had great on-screen chemistry so they came across as a believable couple. Though it is not a situation that most people could relate to, the issues behind the couples' problems were relateable, and so you came out with a feel-good feeling when they resolved them and lived 'happily ever after'. Some of the characters were a little stereotyped, such as nudist Wayne and slightly crazy former porn star Karen (who you may recognise from various rom-coms) but these add to the comedy value of the movie. I wouldn't rush out to buy it, but for an easy watch on a Friday night in, this is perfect.