Laughably ridiculous and rambunctious, “That Awkward Moment” overflows with college-suited humor erring on the side of immaturity. The moment-by-moment hilarity of watching three 20-somethings try to play the balancing act of “bros before hoes” is a sufficiently good time—it’s easy to laugh along with the characters.
The film begins with and is centered around what non-committal bachelor and ladykiller Jason (Zac Efron, “The Paperboy”) calls the “so” question. The moment in a relationship when the girl asks, “so… where is this going?” is the moment Jason washes his hands of the entire situation, and the girl never takes it well. In one particularly memorable monologue, Jason confesses, “I wasn’t confused because she was breaking up with me. I was confused because I didn’t know we were dating.” Not surprisingly, the girl storms off, never to re-appear in the film. Emotionally distant in his relationships, Jason keeps his bros Daniel (Miles Teller, “The Spectacular Now”) and Mikey (Michael B. Jordan, “Fruitvale Station”) closer to heart.
At the same time, Mikey, the more straightlaced and only married member of the trio, finds out that his wife has been unfaithful and wants to leave him. Naturally, best friends Daniel and Jason rush to his side. Disenchanted by how Mikey’s long-term relationship crumbled significantly in barely a day’s time, they present a challenge for each other: no more serious relationships, for any of them. So bring on the bar-hopping and casual dating. But can any of the three commit to the challenge of vowing off relationship-level commitment?
The film pokes fun at the early-adult male’s emotional capacity (or incapacity), doing so with jokes that work, despite a pretty tangible tastelessness (think strap-on dildo at a cocktail party-tasteless). A steady stream of deadpan humor feeds the mood, providing for constant laughs however desperate the jokes.
It would be disappointing to invest in the story—the romantic element of the romantic-comedy lacks (as do most of the serious bits). The simple-minded comedy, where the actors excel and are the most expressive, is where the film lives and dies.
The relationship-centric outlandish humor caters to the college and post-college set (think “New Girl”-type comedy). Crazy enough to laugh at without being completely unbelievable, “That Awkward Moment” succeeds in providing unpretentious, cheap laughter. Almost carelessly silly, the film indulges in its greatest strength and weakness—not taking itself seriously.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
