With a classily humorous and charming trailer, I starred “That Awkward Moment” on my list of “must-see movies.” But after seeing the film in theaters, I reflected on my initial judgment, asking myself: why did I wasting 10 dollars and two hours of my life enduring this movie, when I had already seen the bulk of its glory moments in a trailer?
Set in downtown Manhattan, the film delves into the lives of three rowdy males in their mid-20s: Jason (Zac Efron, “The Lucky One”), alpha-male and repeat one-night-stander; Daniel (Miles Teller, “21 & Over”), the corky sidekick; and Mikey, (Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station”), the straightedge doctor.
The plot (or lack thereof) unfolds as Mikey’s wife reveals that she would like to file for divorce. The three friends make a pact, vowing to remain single for as long as possible. With that, they launch themselves into a whirlwind of liquor-filled nights at the club, ice cream splurges and meaningless sex in an attempt to find meaning in life. In the midst of careless, responsibility-free adventure, both Jason and Daniel inconveniently encounter women that could be “the one.”
Face-to-face with love, they pull away to maintain their oath and steer clear of potential attachment and commitment. As most stories go, the pals experience melancholy and regret running from intimacy, ultimately triggering efforts to once again win over the hearts of the ones they love.
It’s pretty evident that director Tom Gormican is seeking to recreate the feel of the hit TV show “Sex and the City,” substituting the four women for three far-less-interesting men. Though meant to give insight into the minds of young men and share the secrets of brotherhood, the film actually just strings together shallow catchphrases and cheesy pickup lines, failing to dig deeper than the surface of male mentality in regard to friendship, relations and everything in between.
In addition to a cliché script, the storyline follows the typical pattern of rom-coms, or better yet, “brom-coms,” containing unsurprising scenes, no twists and an easily-anticipated ending. Between the predictability and banality, you will feel as if you’ve seen the movie a million and one times before.
If you’re considering seeing this film in theatres, I have some advice for you: don’t waste your time and money and just watch the preview, with all of the film’s mildly comic moments in one short clip without the hindrance of faulty plotlines or lengthy strings of tacky lines.
2 out of 5 stars
