Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (2012)
Reviewer:
Rissi C.
If it’s not based on classic literature, I don’t always pay
attention to British productions. This quirky comedy has a great
cast however it’s full of foolish misunderstandings and
high-class drama.
Weddings for some families are joyful. Weddings at the Thatcham
house seem to bring out the worse in everyone. Mrs. Thatcham
(Elizabeth McGovern) is frazzled over meal settings, room
assignments and the arrival of her daughter’s former beau,
Joseph (Luke Treadaway). Her younger daughter, Kitty (Ellie
Kendrick) is caught in the middle of the wedding drama. The Bride,
Dolly (Felicity Jones), has hidden herself away in her room,
letting memories of summer days long past with Joseph wash over
her. This should be the happiest day of her life and instead the
only person Dolly seems inclined to talk with is bridesmaid and
friend Evelyn (Zoe Tapper).With the chaos just below her, Dolly
is left to her wallowing and her romantic sisters complaints
over Dolly’s selfishness.
All turns topsy-turvy with the sudden arrival of Dolly’s fiancé
and Joseph’s attempts to speak with Dolly who keeps rebuffing
his requests. Dolly stays holed up in her room, as chaos
reigns while the family barely makes it through a family meal,
temperamental family members sparking arguments and a bride who
just won’t talk to anyone!
This is a “stiff” British comedy that is
silly and, I’m sorry to say, boring. The movie has a short in
running time yet feels longer with its slow moving pacing.
It's a 1930's satire. The script hides behind dark
emotions and chances lost, but really, that's not what the
story is – it’s a comedic piece of chaos. From wacky family
members arriving amid already silly shenanigans to the outwardly
pointless meaning in the movie, the laughs are plenty, but I
never really "got it." Sure, it's
interesting in its own unique way but it
left me empty. There was nothing that inspired me or made me
feel like anyone was happy. The film is deliberately ambiguous
in its ending but the slight implication is that further misery
awaits them. It doesn't help that so few characters are likable
-- Dolly is insipid and Joseph is a spineless
wimp.
What did work for me was Elizabeth McGovern’s
regal acting. Her character pretends to turn a blind eye all to all
around her, yet she knows more than anyone realizes. There's also lashbacks to the summer Dolly and Joseph spent
together which serves to liven things up and contrasts the
“cool,” darker tones of the present -- especially since too many
scenes involve Dolly forlornly sitting in her room chugging rum.
Those of us who can appreciate a darker, more whimsical sense of
humor may not mind the tone but for me, it never hit the mark. Lost
potential and some pretty costuming can't make up for a
lifeless script, which means this was a bit of a shamble.
Sexual Content:
Brief scenes show two young lovers removing clothing (the camera cuts away before things go very far), as well as some passionate kissing. It’s implied one character is “loose” and is pregnant out-of-wedlock with a child whose father she is unsure of. There is some flirting.
Language:
One or two British profanities or slang expressions.
Violence:
None.
Other:
There is some social drinking and while at a family get-together, various characters get drunk.