Anthony's Film Review - That Awkward Moment (2014)

This romantic comedy about relationship awkwardness manages to be both funny and sweet...

That Awkward Moment is a 2014 film that, on the surface, looks like any typical romantic comedy. It's about three guys who want to enjoy having women in their lives, while not being in a long-term relationship. What makes this one just a tiny bit original is that it depicts a certain aspect of relationships that many people can relate to: that awkward moment of wondering if a relationship will even go anywhere. Whether it strikes one partner or both partners, the result is that things may come to a temporary or permanent halt.

Let me first provide you with an overview of the plot and characters. Zac Efron and Miles Teller play Jason and Daniel, respectively. Both are typical young laid-back single guys who love to have fun, and they both work as book cover designers at a publishing company. In addition, Michael B. Jordan plays Mikey, a successful emergency room doctor who unfortunately discovers that his wife is cheating on him (believe it or not, with a divorce attorney). These three guys, who are best friends, share a vow to seek out women but never get into any serious relationship.

The humor of this film mostly comes from awkward situations, and they're not just the awkward situation of wondering where a relationship is headed. For example, Jason hits on a girl in a bar named Ellie (played by Imogen Poots), sleeps with her, sees things in her apartment suggesting that she is a prostitute, AND (get this) encounters her at work because he is to design a cover for her upcoming book. Daniel, too, has his own awkward moment, when he and his female friend Chelsea (played by Mackenzie Davis) are out looking for other singles but eventually, and out of the blue, become more than just friends. As for Mikey, he goes through some difficult moments with his wife Vera (played by Jessica Lucas), though some of them can be awkward, too, like when they have sex in a place where one is absolutely not supposed to.

There are more awkward moments to laugh about, but to not spoil anything, I won't list all the rest. I will, however, hint at what is perhaps the ultimate moment of awkwardness, which also involves a high degree of embarrassment and humiliation. It involves going to a party dressed in a certain way, thinking that it's perfectly fine, only to discover that it's grossly inappropriate for the setting. Other than that, there are plenty of little jokes sprinkled throughout the film, mostly sex-related. One unexpectedly funny moment has to do with an unusual body position for a man to assume if he needs to urinate but has a major erection.

Aside from the humor, this is a sweet romantic movie. As the film progresses, each of the three main characters discovers how wonderful love can be, even if they may not admit it right away. They all reach their own awkward moment of wondering where their relationships with their women are headed, an issue that they essentially created for themselves given the pact of singlehood that they made earlier. By the time the film ends, the lesson becomes clear. Awkwardness in relationships is perhaps something that is natural to experience, but getting past it is still worth the effort.

So yeah, this film is mostly a standard and predictable romantic comedy, but it's still enjoyable. You may find some of it awkward, but believe me when I say that the humor and sweetness make it worthwhile to sit through.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about That Awkward Moment, visit the Internet Movie Database.