A combination of misogyny and misandry, this shows a generation gap, a gender gap, hatred towards potential in-laws, and makes the man look like a fool while it makes the woman look like a passive/aggressive control freak. This comedy shows too completely incompatible people moving into a gorgeous apartment together without obviously really thinking it through. Jennifer Aniston, one of today's top leading ladies, has never warmed me on screen, and I found myself despising her from the start. She's the type of female (certainly no lady) who expects the men in her life to read her mind. According to her state of confusion, insisting that she feels cut flowers are a waste so that means that she really wants her man to buy her flowers. Vince Vaughan is no prize either. He's guilty of being a slob, not offering to help, and when he agrees to do the dishes, she's angry because he didn't offer. But my biggest issue with him is that I did not find him at all believable, speaking lines that seem to be the most one dimensional viewpoint of the world's biggest misandrists.Perhaps modern relationships haven't improved with the E.R.A., and the vengeance of angry broads vs. the one upmanship of male chauvinists determined to keep control. This is not a couple that I'm rooting for to see get back together, let alone go out on a date in the first place. She's got a strange family that seems like they are from outer space. Even mom Ann-Margret seems like she dropped in from another world in her few scenes, although I never bought her as Aniston's mother in the first place. Judy Davis appears to be playing the Patti LuPone of the art gallery world, rather severe and sadly wasted. The effeminate receptionist is also a rather unnecessary character as well, stereotypically overly sensitive and flamboyant, basically a gay cartoon character.This is trying so hard to be hip, modern and current, but only proves several points according to the script. Straight men are insensitive pigs that need to be trained and controlled by the women they date. Their women are harpy's, manipulative and demanding, not worth the psychological risk of a lifetime of angry stares and immediate confrontations once the door is closed after company leaves. I found myself yelling at the screen in frustration at the one dimensional modern way that humanity has turned the battle of the sexes (funny in old screwball comedies) into something that looks like a Fifth Avenue parade right after the crowd has dispersed. I watched the entire film to get the whole picture, one of the ugliest pictures of male and female relationships I've ever seen.

The Break-Up (2006): Dir: Payton Reed / Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent D'Onofrio, Joey Lauren Adams, Cole Hauser: Advertised as a comedy while delivering serious issues regarding broken relationships that aren't convincing to begin with. Tour guide Vince Vaughn and art gallery patron Jennifer Aniston confront differences threatening their relationship. Great background information followed by a routine seesaw battle of wills. Conclusion received a groan from the audience as director Payton Reed tries to deliver on two scales. Reed previously made the successful yet routine Bring It On. Vaughn argues his messy lifestyle, while Aniston yearns for appreciation. Vaughn is unsympathetic because he fails to do simple things that could help heal his relationship wounds. Aniston is also unsympathetic reducing herself to failed attempts to make him jealous. Standard friendships with Vincent D'Onofrio and Joey Lauren Adams who are deserving of better material. Plus we have Cole Hauser as Vaughn's brother and this is quite the step down after having the lead in Paparazzi. Strong message regarding admitting our faults but some relationships are doomed from the start, much like this film. The concluding scene is perhaps meant as a twist but it comes off like a kick to the groin. Disappointing comedy that won't have viewers breaking up. Score: 4 / 10

Alright .. short synopsis .. Guy and girl experiencing dating problems who live together ... Well the movie opens with their relationship on the rocks .. no reference to when times were good making it seem like things we never good between them. Ummm .. that gives the audience no reason to care when as their relationship crumbles. So all the nasty crap they do and say to each other as the couple tries to move on makes the audience feel awkward. Like you are seeing something you should not. The audience is really left saying "BREAK UP ALREADY" ... of course it takes a rising level of teenage antics for the two to break up and move out of their shared condo .. then they see each other on the street months later and everything is OK ... like they realized that they just weren't meant for each other .. maybe .. you also get the impression that maybe they wish they had done things differently .. maybe .. but like I said .. the movie never let us see the good times letting us believe that this relationship was never going to workNow my take on what the movie was supposed to convey .. That not all relationships work out however you can grow from them to become better people. The movie could have done a better job showing this ... hence my 2 rating

Gary Grobowski (Vince Vaughn) is a loud mouth boorish Neanderthal who works as a tour guide in Chicago. Brooke Meyers (Jennifer Aniston) works at an art gallery and feels completely neglected by him. They fight and they break up. Only neither of them are willing to move out of their luxury apartment and a war of the sexes ensues.He is an insensitive idiot. It's not a new character for Vince and it's getting tiresome. She's a high maintenance girlfriend disguised as the girl next door. Again it's not a new character. They are not likable characters and I'm getting tired of the actors doing the same thing over and over again. They don't make for a good couple, and they don't have good chemistry. They should never be together in the first place. The only good thing is that they don't get back together.This is meant to be a comedy. But there is too much serious anger and hate to be funny. It had a chance of this being a dark comedy, but nobody here could figure out how to make one.