So . . ?
Swift shot: In every relationship these days there is that awkward so, so what are we doing here? So, are we going anywhere with this? So, what do I tell my friends? . . . And so on. That Awkward Moment is really just that, a series of awkward moments strewn loosely together to form a patchwork of a romantic comedy. There isn’t anything spectacular about it.
Zac Efron pulls out a full frontal assault as he plays Jason, the most self-absorbed character of 2014. His friend Daniel (Miles Teller) is only one degree less selfish. And Mikey (Michael B. Jordan) is a struggling true romantic who is facing a serious challenge with his marriage to Vera (Jessica Lucas).
Daniel and Jason actually have a cool job, designing book covers, which is perfect as a metaphor for how Jason treats women – only doing the surface work. But when he first meets the sophisticated Ellie (Imogen Poots) he may finally have met his match.
As Ellie and Jason traverse the romantic meanderings of Gramercy Park, and their friends’ stories meld with the film, directed by Tom Gormican, the audience really only sat waiting (less than patiently) for the next vulgar joke or site gag.
If vulgar jokes and less than stimulating romance comedies are your thing, this won’t disappoint. But, I really didn’t care how the characters’ stories ended. And I wasn’t surprised or genuinely moved once. I do get a kick out of saying Poots, though.
