Feb. 29, 2012 - Issue #854: Gobal Visions
Wanderlust
» Country bound
Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston are rather forgettable as George and Linda, but there are compensating characters: George's jerk brother and barely repressed sister-in-law, leading a truly crappy suburban life; the commune's nudist winemaker, its acidhead founder (Alan Alda), and its slightly time-warped leader (Justin Theroux). Relaxed about nudity and sex (though it stupidly draws out George's self-encouraging soliloquy of porno-clichés), the movie's often sympathetic to the commune and its cheerful, off-the-beaten-rat-race-track adherents.
From a no-doorways policy to placenta-preservation, many of the early jokes make fun of the uptight urbanites as much as they mock the spacey free-lovers. Still, the story ultimately sides with the bland, loft-closeted George and Linda and gets lazy with its guy-wins-back-girl moments down the stretch. The truly bum trip in Wanderlust comes when all its amusing rambles only lead it to settle back down where it began—in Dullcouplesville. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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