I wasn't quite sure what to think of this when I first picked it up. Sure, there are some good cast members in there, but it could have gone either way. Then I found out it was produced by Judd Apatow, so I knew I was in pretty good hands.
Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star as George and Linda, a married couple from New York who are forced to move in with George's brother after he is suddenly dismissed from his job. On the journey to their new home, the couple stumble upon Elysium, a bed and breakfast that actually houses an idyllic community of oddballs who practice peace, love, truth and veganism, headed by trippy hippy Seth (Justin Theroux). At first weirded out by these strange people, George and Linda soon start to be won over by their kindness and the new experiences they are offered. Could Elysium be the place they've been looking for all along?
Wanderlust is certainly a much more philosophically involved movie than Role Models, Superbad or any of that bunch which are about assholes trying to get laid or out of trouble. This movie is all about exploring different ways of life, and finding true happiness, but unfortunately it's still portrayed in a kind of immature way. The residents are often just openly creepy and weird, and quite one dimensional in a lot of respects. There's only so many ways to poke fun at the community, so it does start to drag a little around the middle parts of the movie, until the plot gets shaken up again. Still, the movie does manage to stay on top by having some great performances that get as much as they can out of the characters, and some great improv scenes that give some genuinely funny dialogue.
So yes, it may not be amazing, but Wanderlust is a light hearted movie that got quite a few laughs out of me. It's probably the best comedy I've seen in recent months.
My rating: 4/5
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