The Break-Up (2006) 1 star out of 4. Starring Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Favreau, Vincent D丹nofrio, Jason Bateman, Cole Hauser, Judy Davis and Ann-Margret. Story by Jeremy Garelick, Jay Lavender and Vince Vaughn. Screenplay by Garelick and Lavender. Directed by Peyton Reed. Rated PG-13.

       
The Break-Up is almost too excruciating to watch.

        Despite tabloid headlines to the contrary, the lack of chemistry between stars Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston is obvious.

        And the script by Jeremy Garelick and Jay Lavender, based on a story by Garelick, Lavender and Vaughn, does not serve either performer well.

        Aniston plays Brooke, a bright and beautiful art dealer. Vaughn is Gary who, with his brothers, runs a company that provides bus tours of Chicago. Gary is the tour guide.

        These two people have nothing in common, so it is simply a plot contrivance that dictates they meet, fall in love and eventually buy a condo that is the battleground for the movie's premise.

        No matter the genre, nor how outlandish the story, a movie should have an internal logic of its own that the audience can grasp.

        This is what The Break-Up lacks. What these two divergent people see in each other is never made clear. They are merely pawns to the plot of this so-called anti-romantic comedy.

        The comedy, for lack of a better description, is not funny. It is churlish, childish and petulant.

        Vaughn merely reprises the glib, fast-talking character he has perfected over the years, while Aniston continues to show a lack of any on-screen personality. She is pretty but dull, and a bit stiff, which is at odds with how character should be portrayed.

        What Brooke ever saw in Gary is questionable, since he is a selfish lout who seems only interested in playing video games and watching baseball. He refuses to take part in any activities that interest Brooke, such as the ballet. He is in agony when he must play host at a dinner party for their families.

        Why Brooke had not broken up with him sooner is the question?

        The talents of Ann-Margret as Brooke's mother and Vincent D丹nofrio as Gary痴 older brother are wasted in thankless roles.

        Only Jon Favreau as Johnny O, Gary痴 closest friend, comes off as interesting.

        Director Peyton Reed, who directed the stylish Doris Day-Rock Hudson spoof, Down With Love, seems lost, unable to bring any of the film痴 set pieces to life.

        By the wistful finale, he has lost his audience and we have lost any interest whatsoever in Brooke and Gary.

        The Break-Up is a sad piece of business that both stars should erase from their resumes.

        Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at serialhero48@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.