Don't be fooled!

"The Break Up" isn't what it seems to be. The previews make it look like a "Weddings Crashers"-type comedy. And while there are some scenes in the Vince Vaughn-Jennifer Aniston film that are pretty much as funny as any in that previous Vaughn vehicle, there is also a serious, kind of sad, streak in the movie.

Vaughn helped conceive the plot about a couple who move in together and then find out that they still have some kinks in their relationship to work out. Family and friends act as sounding boards for the squabbling couple and all the talented supporting cast make the most of their moments on center stage. The always wonderful John Michael Higgins gets the M.V.P. award. The always creepy Cole Hauser even manages to be slightly funny (while maintaining his incredible creepiness.)

With a less talented director than Peyton Reed or a less likable actress in the lead, the movie would have been a complete disaster, but still, "The Break Up" just doesn't work. It veers uncomfortably from slapstick comedy to serious questions about love and relationships.

So there's your warning. If you go on a date expecting some good laughs and a light comedy, you're in for a surprise. You might leave the theater having to discuss what's going wrong in your relationship. That's never fun.

Perhaps, you'd enjoy "The Proposition." It delivers exactly as it promises.

So is "The Break Up" a good movie to see if a guy's looking for a warts-and-all movie about love and relationship?

Iike most guys, I avoid movies with the "romance" or "romantic comedy" label, as "The Break Up" has. I don't want a fluffy, pollyannish piece about romantic love. I want grit. I want serious. Sure, I'll take laughs (e.g., "The 40-Year Old Virgin"), but I don't care for a live-action fairty tale; guys don't need to believe we're Cinderellas who'll find our Prince Charmings.

So, if "The Break Up" points out issues or flaws in romantic relationships, maybe it's worth seeing. "Lost In Translation" and "Brokeback Mountain" (and, to a lesser extent, "Closer") are artistic compass points that help me understand my life's romantic experiences. Does "The Break Up" has similar value?

What are some good movies out now (or on DVD) that aren't typical "chick flick" romantic comedies, but are great movies about love and romance? Any recommendations?

This movie boils down too much to "guys like pool, girls like ballet." I think men and women are more complicated than that. I actually thought that that Uma Thurman movie from last year, "Prime," was pretty good.