A&E

Film review: Two great actors almost save ‘That Awkward Moment’

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Zac Efron and Imogen Poots share their own awkward moment.

Two and a half stars

That Awkward Moment Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan. Directed by Tom Gormican. Rated R. Opens Friday.

After starring in two of last year’s most acclaimed independent films (The Spectacular Now and Fruitvale Station, respectively), up-and-coming young actors Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan have somehow found themselves in a Zac Efron romantic comedy. While this may not be great for their artistic integrity, it turns out to be great for That Awkward Moment, an otherwise forgettable dude-focused rom-com that benefits from the charisma of two of its stars.

Efron, Teller and Jordan play three college friends now living in New York City, all single and determined to remain that way. They even go so far as to make a pact with each other to remain unattached, which is a surefire sign that they will all end up entangled in serious relationships by the end of the movie. There’s nothing new about the movie’s contrived misunderstandings and cringe-worthy comic set pieces, but the actors (including Imogen Poots and Mackenzie Davis as two of the underwritten love interests) bring extra charm and likeability to their characters. The best moments in That Awkward Moment come courtesy of the performers’ nascent star power, not anything original or exciting that writer-director Tom Gormican has to add to the overstuffed romantic-comedy genre.

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