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Wanderlust (2011)

Director: David Wain

Time Out rating

Average user rating

5 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

This hippy commune ‘comedy’, which stars Jennifer Aniston and Judd Apatow regular Paul Rudd, is less funny than watching a penguin die from testicular cancer. Which, as it happens, is the subject of a documentary New York filmmaker Linda (Aniston) fails to pitch to HBO. Coincidentally, her husband George (Rudd) has just been fired from his Wall Street job, so – after a brief, disastrous sojourn at the tasteless Georgia mansion owned by George’s boorish brother Rick (Ken Marino) – they go ‘off the grid’ at Elysium, a free love ‘intentional community’ founded back in 1971 by now-addled Carvin (Alan Alda).Director and co-writer David Wain (‘Role Models’) desperately try to milk the ‘fish out of water’ clash between urban hip and hippy-dippy counter-culture, as the New York couple experiment with veganism, nudism, hallucinogenic tea and, most problematically, free love. Linda is seduced by resident alpha male Seth (Justin Theroux), George resists the wholesome charms of Eva (Malin Akerman). You know you’re in trouble when not even the improvised scenes and fluffed out-takes are funny.

Author: Nigel Floyd

Time Out London Issue 2167: Mar 1-7, 2012

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User reviews of this film

D. Well said...

Posted on Mar 08 2012 16:05 This film was absolutely tedious to watch and full of excruciating stereotypes. So much inane nonsense about smug 'normal' 'trendy' New Yorkers moving in with crazy, 'way out' hippies. Trite and tripe. Just pure stupidity.

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Marsellus said...

Posted on Mar 06 2012 08:45 Watched this last night with the missus. We both laughed quite a lot. The film certainly dragged in places and the dialogue wasn't as witty as something like 40 Year Old Virgin - but we laughed and I've definitely watched far worse comedies than this. Aniston is hot. She's not the world's best actress but I love her so much I'd watch her do anything - even go to the toilet. 2.5 out of 5 (but I'll round up).

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jaycee said...

Posted on Mar 04 2012 07:21 Scrumpyjack got it right. This is a very, very funny movie, wtha high gag rate and lots of great American comic actors. The audience in my screening laughed a lot. My parents would love it.

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Ian said...

Posted on Mar 03 2012 17:36 Every time I go to see a "comedy" with Jennifer Aniston I say never again. This time I mean it.
The film is as dire as the review says. Every cliche is hit such as the fat obnoxious brother, to the many commune character cliches and when a plot is really needed we get purile nob gags and far too much smut.The story per se is totally predictable and the ending is rushed as if they have finally run out of ideas..
I disagree with Scrumpy as it is worth no more than 3 maybe 4 out of 10. I wouldn't want to see it with my parents to see it nor take a woman on a date to see it either.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Mar 02 2012 20:01 More humourless main stream hating from T.O.....I totally enjoyed it (bar a slightly TOO frantic ending) and so will millions who are blissfully unaware of such po faced snobbery from NF....and wouldn't care if they were! 7/10

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