‘Bromantic comedy’ switches perspective

Photo courtesy of entertainmentwallpaper.com Miles Teller, Zac Efron and Michael B. Jordan play three friends who place a bet on staying single in the film “That Awkward Moment.”
Photo courtesy of entertainmentwallpaper.com
Miles Teller, Zac Efron and Michael B. Jordan play three friends who place a bet on staying single in the film “That Awkward Moment.”

Three guys hitting the clubs, looking for chicks and living the high life is the surface plot of “That Awkward Moment.” But, like any typical romantic comedy, three bachelors avoiding love as best they can find a deeper meaning in relationships and find that they have been mistaken about love all along.

Mikey (Michael B. Jordan) comes home to find that his wife wants a divorce, while Jason (Zac Efron) and Daniel (Miles Teller) have been sleeping around, trying their hardest to avoid commitment.

In an attempt to “live while they’re young” and make the best of their friendship, the three guys make a bet with each other to see who can stay single the longest.

The film is witty and cute at times but highly offensive to women other times. It has its glowing moments of tact, but it also made me hate men with a passion.

Let’s start with the good, then we’ll move on to the bad and the ugly.

The two female leads were independent, smart women. They were not over-sexualized and they were not the typical female love interest.

Although they were only present in the movie to move along the plotline, they both had a purpose and a personality. For that I give the film respect.

In addition, the three friends had undeniable charisma on-screen. They played off each other well. Plus, I really didn’t mind seeing Efron shirtless. Let’s just say, the boy grew up.

On the other hand, the whole purpose of the three main characters’ motivation was to lie and cheat on women.

Essentially, women were there to give them temporary satisfaction and stay out of their lives until the next time they needed a quick pick-me-up.

Maybe I am a little biased because I am a woman, but come on. Materializing women is not cool no matter who you are.

However, something I enjoyed was that this is one of the few films that tells a love story from the guy’s point of view. It may be a pioneer to an entirely new genre of film altogether. I’ll call it the bro flick or the bromcom.

We’re used to romcoms told from a woman’s perspective. The woman is distressed in looking for love. The woman finally finds someone who changes her mind about relationships. However, in “That Awkward Moment,” the viewer follows the story of three guys. ­

As do most classic rom- coms, they all live happily ever after. All three friends move on into new chapters of their lives and discover new meanings to love and relationships.

Although the film may offend just about every girl on the planet, it is well-balanced with raunchy scenes, clever bro banter and “awe” moments. Serious scenes are scattered throughout the film, but it is more comedic than dramatic.

Do not rely on the trailer to reveal all the funny parts. The film was all shock and awe throughout.

I’m not sure if I would recommend it for a Valentine’s Day date, but if you are looking to bro-out for the night or just see naked Efron, definitely go see it.

Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

 

Story by Madison Wepfer, Contributing writer

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