PG-13 

With all the tabloid gossip generated by the actual life soap opera that is Jen-Brad-Angelina “Brangelineffer,” it’s often hard to decipher what is real and what is a movie. Moreover, one can easily forget that any of the three are actors who, very occasionally, star in half decent movies. Even Jennifer Aniston, who made her name as the one with the haircut from “Friends,” was in cult favorite “Office Space” and did a pretty good turn opposite Jake Gyllenhaal as a bored Texan cashier in the imaginatively titled “The Good Girl” in 2002.

However, over the last couple of years, Jen’s real life drama has surpassed any of that created in her movies. “The Break Up” is Aniston’s first real stab at a big summer smash; however, in the last week, it may have been trampled by tabloids and mainstream news clambering to tell us about Angelina having Brad’s child in the small African country of Namibia. “Namibia?”

Ah yes, Namibia. “The Break Up”? Who n’ the what now?

This review should be focusing not so much on this tabloid dross and more on the movie —the trouble is, it’s not very good. Brooke, (Aniston) the manager of a Chicago Art Gallery, and Gary (Vince Vaughn), a Chicago Cubs obsessed city tour operator, split up after two years of dating. Basically, she’s tightly wound and he’s a selfish slob. Neither want to leave their plush condo, enabling plenty of “uncomfortable” and “hilarious” situations, with quick-witted exchanges between the two. Both receive bad advice from their best friends (Joey Lauren Adams and a large-looking Jon Favreau) as they bumble attempts to make each other jealous and fight like caged animals in the prized condo.

“The Break Up” could’ve been an original and funny romantic comedy. By beginning the plot with the end of a relationship, the movie had the potential to deal with the pitfalls of relationships in a witty, insightful way (a la Woody Allen). However, this version of the story is neither funny nor romantic. The fundamental problem here is that we don’t really want Aniston and Vaughn’s characters to get back together. They are actually quite mean to each other, and watching their incessant arguing is like being on a double date with a couple who continually fight. It’s awkward, uncomfortable and distracting, to say the least. Vaughn is even more coarse than usual, though unfortunately his wise-ass, motor-mouth tendencies are slightly muted this time. Indeed, it seems as though he has been forbidden to resort to his usual charm to save either his character’s relationship or the entire movie (which is strange, as he co-wrote this). Neither able to muster enough to convince that she has great comedic abilities nor that she is a noteworthy actress, Aniston’s own real life relationship difficulties hang over the movie like a bad smell.

Supporting actors John Michael Higgins, Judy Davis and John Favreau manage to squeeze a couple of laughs out of this shambles. There is also one funny nightclub scene with a surprisingly funny Cole Hauser playing Gary’s creepy, idiot brother. However, the fact we have two lead characters that are about as likeable as a David Schwimmer movie makes it very hard to come away with anything positive to say about “The Break Up,” despite its potential.  The tabloid stuff is more interesting.