THE FIVE –YEAR ENGAGEMENT  is a very smart, thoughtful, romantic, perceptive and occasionally flat-out hilarious movie that deserved much more applause than the lukewarm claps it received. It made about $55m on a budget of $30m, so it wasn’t a huge popular success either. Not dumb enough, apparently.

Engaged after a year together, job-related issues force a couple to postpone their wedding repeatedly. In a nutshell, that’s it, with some moves around the country thrown in for regional flavoring. Directed, produced & co-written by Nicholas Stoller, captain of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which also starred leading man Jason Segel, who shares the script credit here.

Dakota Johnson: ‘danger! Will Robinson! danger!’

Rhys Ifans, professor :shoot on sight.

Segel’s a winning performer, and luckily, here he’s teamed with Emily Blunt, so there’s charm to spare. With Chris Pratt, Alison Brie and Jacki Weaver.

124 minutes, a bit longer than most comedies of recent years, but the characters are so likable and their myriad situations are recognizable and entertaining so the time invested is justified.  Loved it.