THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT (15) Comedy/Romance. Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Rhys Ifans, Jacki Weaver, Mimi Kennedy, David Paymer, Lauren Weedman. Director: Nicholas Stoller Love hurts, though not too badly, in Nicholas Stoller’s romantic comedy about a doe-eyed couple whose rose-tinted dreams of marital bliss are undone by the pressures of everyday life.

Penned by leading man Jason Segel and director Nicholas Stoller, who recently collaborated on the script for The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement trades heavily on the winning rapport between Segel and British actress Emily Blunt.

The leads, who are friends in real life, gel delightfully in front of the cameras and kindle sparks of sexual chemistry that have us rooting for their soon-to-be-weds when fate conspires to tear them apart.

Mirroring the central relationship, Stoller’s slick confection woos us with a terrific opening 30 minutes of zinging one-liners and colourful supporting performances.

For all its barbs and grim predictions of impending anguish, Stoller’s film is engineered with clinical precision to rouse and entertain, so you can be confident that the tears and bitter recriminations will be sweetened by a suitably feel-good denouement.

San Francisco sous chef Tom (Segel) meets psychology graduate Violet (Blunt) at a Make Your Own Superhero party. On their one-year anniversary, he pops the question.

Tom’s parents Pete (David Paymer) and Carol (Mimi Kennedy), and Violet’s mother Sylvia (Jacki Weaver) are thrilled.

Soon after, Violet secures a doctoral position at Michigan University, studying under Prof Winton Childs (Rhys Ifans), and Tom selflessly sacrifices his career to follow her to the frozen Midwest.

However, the move puts the relationship under intolerable strain and Tom and Violet contemplate breaking off the engagement.

The Five-Year Engagement begins promisingly and establishes a brisk tempo with rapid-fire dialogue and some amusing vignettes.

Then the malaise sets in.

Our attraction to the script and the characters wanes and we almost fall out of love entirely with the film during a plodding and bloated middle section that treads water.

Thankfully, our disenchantment is tempered by unerring affection for Segel and Blunt, and some lovely set pieces.