Breaking Up (1997)

One would think a film only starring Russell Crowe and Salma Hayek (there literally are no other characters in this film) would at least be interesting.  But watching an in and out relationship between two confused people simply didn't to it for me.

Steve and Monica started their relationship on a blissful high, but after two plus years of dating reality started to set in.  Sex seemed to be the only thing holding their relationship together, the rest of the time seemed to be made up of petty arguments.  Finally the two decided to split up, but that didn't last long, they soon got back together during a night of passion which ended in an argument and another breakup.  Steve finally comes to the decision that they need to get married, maybe then they can finally get on with their lives and stop fooling around.  But is marriage really going to solve a relationship that seems to have some brutal foundational issues?

Breaking Up is like the film adaptation of that friend of yours whose relationship seems to be made of breaking up and making up over and over again with the same person.  At least one of the people in the relationship never seems to be willing to make a commitment, yet being without the other person in their life seems to make them completely lost.  That seems to be Steve's MO, he seems to be the one whose always instigating the arguments or backing out of the commitments.  But that doesn't take off any of the blame from Monica who seems to be more than willing to put up with it all and keep coming back, only to break up all over again.

In a sense Breaking Up is a decent look into the life of two screwed up people who really seem to have more of a lust for one another than any real sort of love.  If any true love exists in the relationship it's overshadowed by the couple's complete lack of respect for one another or complete immaturity.  Call this film lesson in life and relationships, but calling it entertainment is a bit of a stretch.  Ultimately this film left me bored, while Crowe and Hayek give good performances it's pretty much wasted on a story that goes completely no where, and when you're tied down to only two characters with no supporting cast you're ultimately also stuck in this couples dead end relationship which has no hope.

3/10