Jake was married to Margo for six months. He says it was the longest three years of his life. Margo later marries Rock, who leaves her after two years and moves in with Jake, eventually getting on Jake's nerves with all his annoying quirks. Meanwhile, Tracy breaks up with Jake for what she says is the last time. In flashbacks, we learn this has happened before.
The movie begins with Jake in a number of different locations telling the story to different groups of people (many of which never speak, but they appear in the credits anyway--a nice touch), and sometimes just to the audience watching the movie. Rock later joins him. With rapid-fire editing between locations, this movie appears designed for those with short attention spans. Frequent flashbacks show not only the lives Jake and Rock are describing, but also what happened before either one met Margo.
Inserted between scenes are the white-on-black words of great philosophers. In the style of a documentary, we also hear from many of Margo's other ex-spouses. I say spouses because some are female. One ex is a little boy who says he benefited from knowing Margo because he no longer wets the bed. Another ex is a grown man who benefited from knowing Margo because ... he no longer wets the bed. And Kevin Bacon even makes a cameo to show that all successful people in history are somehow connected to Margo--'six degrees of separation'.
One of the funniest things about the movie--and there is a lot to laugh at here--is the way Margo talks. We mostly hear her on the telephone, but even when we see her she sounds like a tape being fast-forwarded. And we don't see her entire face so that we won't notice her lips don't match what she's saying.
The writers of this movie must have enjoyed 'Peanuts'. In one scene Jake is dancing, with the video speeded up, to music that sounds a lot like Vince Guaraldi's. As a boy, Jake gave psychiatric advice at what looks like a lemonade stand. We see an animated version of Lucy pulling away the football from Charlie Brown, but they don't look much like themselves. And wait until you see Rock's Christmas tree.
This movie is definitely not for kids. There are some offensive gags, some of which TV censors would be unlikely to allow in prime-time, although the gags are not that explicit.
For me, this movie was enjoyable at times but exhausting. It would likely appeal to the 'Dumb and Dumber' audience because of the lead characters, but it actually requires you to use your brain. It seems like an art film, except for the fact the guys aren't exactly the coffee house type.
I would say this was well-done, well-written, and well-acted.
