5 ans de réflexion

But for all the bright moments that break out of the muddle, and the zippy ending that almost rescues it, The Five-Year Engagement catches a bad case of the meanders and never quite recovers, leaving us to wonder what Segel and Stoller could do if forced into a tight 90 minute runtime, with only the really, really good stuff spared the cutting room floor.

I really loved The Five-Year Engagement, and I hope people get out and support it this weekend as it deserves to be another Apatow sleeper.

Stoller and Segel successfully embrace the Apatow maturity plan.

The story starts out well, then becomes contrived and goes on too long. There are funny scenarios and sweet moments, but not nearly enough in this screenplay co-written by Segel and director Nicholas Stoller.

That dream partnership gets dinged a bit in the frustratingly uneven The Five-Year Engagement, which drags and sags at 124 minutes. Luckily, the movie never runs on sitcom empty.

The Five-Year Engagement dutifully hits the marks of its genre, but it is also about the unpredictability of life and the everyday challenges of love. The sensitivity and honesty with which it addresses those matters is a pleasant surprise.