That Awkward Moment

Three NYC friends have love trouble. Jason (Zac Efron) and Daniel (Miles Teller) draw cover art for books. Jason has a theory about girls who starts asking questions that begins with the word SO. Mikey (Michael B. Jordan) is getting dumped by his wife Vera (Jessica Lucas). Jason and Daniel tries to get Mikey laid along with their wingwoman Chelsea (Mackenzie Davis). Jason hooks up with Ellie (Imogen Poots) but he mistakes her for a hooker. To their surprise, she's at their work with a book for their next cover art. Alana (Addison Timlin) is one of Jason's bang buddies.

I really like all 3 guys as actors. I like the girls. I find the characters shallow and not in an interesting way. Sometimes it has some funny lines. It has some fun scenes but they don't add up to compelling relationships or even characters. This cast deserves a better script that has real heart. All the blame has to be laid on new writer/director Tom Gormican. Daniel and Chelsea come closest to a compelling story.

That awkward moment is a normal title which could describe dating in general and all the things that come with it and for a romantic comedy to be emotional and funny then Tom Gormican got his debut right.

I had all the scepticism of every romantic comedy I have watched but this film surpassed them all and it could even be a modern pretty woman. Each actor had a fulfilling parts and equally intellectual and funny to go with it. I connected with all the actors / actresses and for that I respect the director and producer in this production. Zach Efron has really shown that he is a consistent actor and co-director and IMHO he is getting it right every time. Miles Teller is proving to be a deep thoughtful romantic in these roles as in the spectacular now and Imogen Poots also fits this role. There is a definite beginning where the old college pals promise to stay single and enjoy all the NYC girls, middle, where each think they can control natural emotions and admit to themselves they can't and ending where they all become happy in love (romantic comedy format )but each part had substance, comedy, emotion and intellect. There is a part in the middle of the film where Zach shows up dressed up in the wrong dress code for the wrong dress up Party which has been seen many times but never better than in this film. If you are in a mood for a romantic comedy, pick this one now and you might enjoy it like I did.?

One would suspect that this film would offer the audience at least a fun experience and a decent amount of humor, but That Awkward Moment fails to deliver in every way. Not only does the film have a very predictable storyline and clichéd characters, it is also poorly paced and lacks any sort of momentum. The writing is weak and provides very few humorous moments, with the only encouraging aspect being the performance of Miles Teller, whose comedic talent does shine through. Overall, however, the three leading men lack any sort of chemistry, which results in disappointing delivery and causes the characters to be uninteresting. That Awkward Moment therefore fails to produce characters that are relatable on a emotional level, despite that being the film's main aim.

Zac Efron, Miles Teller, and Michael B. Jordan all face That Awkward Moment in this film when analyzing their respective futures as far as friendship and women are concerned. Efron wants them all to commit to non-commitents. But things have a funny way of not working out as we'd like them to be.

That Awkward Moment has the look and feel of a Brat Pack type film from the Eighties. Efron could easily pass as a younger version of Rob Lowe. This film reminded me a bit of St. Elmo's Fire. Sad to say it's not as good.

It's all right and should be please Zac Efron's fans. But it's hardly anything special.

Zac Efron, Miles Teller, and Michael B. Jordan are very capable actors. They've proved it time and time again, and That Awkward Moment is held afloat because of the chemistry between these three actors. Their bromance is electric. I would watch an Entourage-style show between the three of them and their antics, it's that believable. Unfortunately, the material they have to work with here is artificial and stupid. There are some lines in this movie that no one would ever say. And I know that's usually the case with romantic comedies, but this movie takes it a step further and totally demeans women every chance it gets, and I'm not one to point out misogyny in movies, but it just gets stupid after a while. "Let's all make a pact to not get into a relationship! Let's keep having sex with random girls and never fall in love! High-five!" It's such a dumb premise, and it's like the script keeps wanting you to hate these characters until they "redeem" themselves by the end but again, it's so artificial that you don't buy a second of it.

It's certainly watchable due to the three leads, but ultimately you're left wishing the movie was good enough to accommodate for the acting talent. There are a couple chuckle-worthy moments, and some clever banter between the three guys, but most of the comedy falls flat and the romance is absolutely insane from beginning to end. You don't believe these relationships for a second. The dialogue for the most part is asinine. It turns the characters into caricatures at times because of how fake it is. No one in their right mind would say these things, and no woman in their right mind would react positively to these things. It's so forced from beginning to end.

That Awkward Moment isn't a bad movie. It would've been terrible if they cast average actors, but thankfully the stellar cast keeps the movie watchable and mildly entertaining until the end. As a romcom it's insane, but then again, most of them are so you should know what you're getting into with That Awkward Moment.