Earlier today CC posted a long-ish review of the new Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn picture over on our new project, The Movie Binge. Though we think we hit most of the major points in that review, there is this needling detail from the film that we failed to mention which often happens in the star vehicle romantic comedies and is totally annoying: completely unrealistic real estate.
Granted, as a New Yorker (nearly half way to the 10 year benchmark!) Cinecultist is at time overly sensitive to the difficulties of urban life and the fantastical ways it is depicted in cinema and on television. Also, The Break Up is set in Chicago and though we've visited, Cinecultist has never tried to rent an apartment there, let alone buy a condo like the characters in the film. Regardless! Our gut, intuition and sense for bullshit says a tour bus company operator and a gallery manager could not afford such posh digs. Let alone furnish it in that tasteful, modern and oh so elegant decorating scheme. It's seriously distracting.
Perhaps before movies like this, or even before every rerun episode of Friends, we could get a reality disclaimer from someone who knows real estate, Barbara Corcoran* perhaps. Barb would appear on screen, or maybe just her voice, disembodied and godlike: "The property you are about to see in the following teleplay is fictional and does not represent actual market value in said urban area. Thank you." That'd be very sobering and helpful, in our opinion.
We're all about escapism in movies, especially summer ones, but come on. Let's keep it from becoming sci fi in regards to the set design. And don't even get us started on Jennifer Aniston's wardrobe in this. Sheesh.
OMG. Did you know Barb has a blog? Check it. Seriously. "She" blogs about her interns and from the point of view of a mouse in her office.
Posted by karen at June 7, 2006 11:55 PM