Couples Retreat
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Peter Billingsley
Produced by	Scott Stuber
Written by	Jon Favreau Vince Vaughn Dana Fox
Starring	Vince Vaughn Jason Bateman Jon Favreau Faizon Love Kristen Bell Malin Akerman Kristin Davis Kali Hawk Tasha Smith Peter Serafinowicz Carlos Ponce and Jean Reno
Music by	A. R. Rahman
Studio	Relativity Media
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	October 9, 2009 (2009-10-09) (US) October 14, 2009 (UK)
Running time	113 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$70 million
Gross revenue	$139,207,151[1]

Couples Retreat is a 2009 comedy film directed by Peter Billingsley and written by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Dana Fox. Vaughn and Favreau star with Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman and Jean Reno. It was released on October 9, 2009 in the United States and on October 14, 2009 in the United Kingdom.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Soundtrack 3.1 Tracklisting 4 Production 4.1 Film locations 4.2 Marketing 5 Reception 5.1 Critics 5.2 Box office 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Plot

Following failed attempts to conceive, Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are close to getting a divorce. In an effort to save their marriage they book a vacation to a couples therapy retreat, called Eden. To save money they encourage their friends to join them, and claim that their friends can enjoy the party activities and not take part in the therapy. Reluctantly their friends, Dave (Vince Vaughn) and Ronnie (Malin Akerman), Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristen Davis), and recently divorced Shane (Faizon Love) and his girlfriend Trudy (Kali Hawk) agree.

Upon their arrival at Eden, they are sent to the couples resort on the west side of the island, and forbidden from traveling to East Eden, which hosts a singles resort. During their first night, resort host Sctanley (Peter Serafinowicz) informs all four couples that they must all engage in the couples therapy or leave the resort. Despite reluctance to do the therapy, the couples decide that they will attend so they can enjoy the other amenities of the island.

At their first therapy session, all four couples learn they have problems with their relationships; Even Ronnie and Dave, who thought they were fine. They endure the resort owner Marcel's (Jean Reno) unusual methods, including swimming with sharks and yoga sessions with amorous instructor Salvadore (Carlos Ponce).

On the fourth night, Trudy escapes to Eden East and the other seven, encouraged by Joey who is unsatisfied with his marriage, leave to find her. Following an argument between Cynthia and Jason, the men and women split up.

The women run into Salvadore, and he takes them to Eden East. The men come across the staff lounge, and find Sctanley playing Guitar Hero. He threatens to report them to Marcel, but Dave challenges him to the game, not telling Sctanley that he is involved in the game's production. Dave beats Sctanley and he directs them to Eden East.

When they arrive, Dave realizes what he has with Ronnie and takes her to be alone at the waterfall. Joey sees Lucy with Salvadore and knocks him out, re-uniting with his wife. Cynthia and Jason share drinks and admit their problems. Shane runs in to his ex-wife, who admits she still loves him. All four couples return to Eden West.

Marcel meets the couples and, seeing that they have worked out their problems, frees them from the therapy and tells them to go jet skiing.

[edit] Cast

• Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman as Dave and Ronnie
• Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis as Joey and Lucy Tippaglio
• Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell as Jason and Cynthia
• Faizon Love and Kali Hawk as Shane and Trudy
• Jean Reno plays Marcel, the lead therapist, founder and operator of the resort
• Peter Serafinowicz plays Sctanley (pronounced Stanley), the British manager of the resort who oversees the couples' stay
• Tasha Smith as Jennifer, ex-wife of Shane^[2]
• Ken Jeong as a therapist
• John Michael Higgins as a therapist
• Carlos Ponce as Salvadore, the yoga instructor
• Temuera Morrison as Briggs, the native assistant to Marcel
• Karen David as Spa Attendant

[edit] Soundtrack

Couples Retreat
Soundtrack by A. R. Rahman
Released	October 06, 2009
Recorded	Panchathan Record Inn A.M. Studios
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Label	Relativity Music Group
Producer	A.R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman chronology
Passage (2009) Couples Retreat (2009) Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya (2009)

The score for Couples Retreat was composed and produced by A. R. Rahman^[3] and recorded in the summer of 2009 with the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage. The film marks his Hollywood debut.^[4] A soundtrack album was released October 6, 2009 by Relativity Music Group.^[5][6]

[edit] Tracklisting

1. Sajna - P. J. Morton
2. Kurukuru Kan (Afro Nisha) - A. R. Rahman
3. Jason & Cynthia Suite - Instrumental
4. NaNa - A. R. Rahman, Blaaze, Vivian Chaix, A. R. Ameen, Clinton Cerejo & Dominic Cerejo
5. Tour of the Villas - Instrumental
6. Meeting Marcel - Instrumental
7. Itinerary - Instrumental
8. Undress - Instrumental
9. Sharks - A. R. Rahman
10. Luau - John O'Brien
11. Salvadore - Kailash Kher & Vijay Prakash
12. Intervention - A. R. Rahman
13. The Waterfall - Instrumental
14. Jason & Cynthia - Piano by Randy Kerber
15. Animal Spirits - Instrumental

[edit] Production

[edit] Film locations

The primary location for filming was at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, Bora Bora, Tahiti in French Polynesia wich can be seen from film credits and the official St. Regis Bora Bora website. Other filming locations include Los Angeles, Universal Studios and O'Hare International Airport.

[edit] Marketing

Universal pictures were criticized for removing actors Faizon Love and Kali Hawk from the international posters for the film, showing 6 rather the 8 cast members used for the U.S. promotional materials. The studio said it regretted causing offence and has abandoned plans to use the revised poster in other countries.^[7][8]

Universal pictures partnered with various groups to get their financial support to help market the film. Sponsors include the Tourism Board of Tahiti where the film was made, the manufactures of drinks Bud Light and Captain Morgan's Rum, Bloomingdale's department store, and Crunch Gyms. The video game Guitar Hero is also prominently featured in the film.^[9]

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critics

The film has received negative reviews. According to Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film received generally unfavorable reviews earning a score of 23% based on 27 reviews.^[10] Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an aggregate rating of 11% based on 141 reviews, with a rating score of 3.6 out of 10. The critical consensus is: "Despite a talented cast and some reliably pleasant interplay between Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat leaves viewers stranded in an arid, mirthless comedy."^[11] The film is rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and language but was originally Rated R for sexual scenes like at one point in the movie a yoga instructor starts dry humping one of the wives in just his thin thong bathing suit, another seen while on his back during a massage a man has a full erection in his underwear, at one point Marcel the lead therapist tells Trudy to undress shane and at one point in the movie a man folds a voucher to where a woman is in a bikini and is about to masturbate but then is interrupted by room service. The film contains no nudity though.

[edit] Box office

Despite the negative critical reception, it was a box office success, ranking first for its opening weekend grossing $34.29 million and becoming Vince Vaughn's highest box office success since 2006's The Break-Up.  Through November 8, 2009 the film has grossed $95.98 million in US and Canada coin for a worldwide total of $127.78 million.^[12]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Couples Retreat Official Site
  • Couples Retreat Soundtrack Site
• Couples Retreat at the Internet Movie Database
• Video Interview With Vaughn, Favreau, Bell and Reno at AMCtv.com