Sometimes I wish I could see the world the way an independent filmmaker does; not through rose-colored classes, but blue ones. Why are so many independent films shot with blue tones? Is this a shorthand for the audience? Hey you guys, this movie was made so on the cheap that we couldn't afford proper lighting, but doesn't it make everything look sad and depressing? "Rachel Getting Married" is very blue, but maybe in this film's case, the blue is part of the old wedding tradition, something old, something new...
The movie came out last year and garnered lots of critical acclaim for Anne Hathaway. It also garnered lots of mentions of what a departure the role was from her first in "The Princess Diaries." Boy, I'm sure that's got to be a great feeling, to be constantly reminded of where you started. That's kind of like a bunch of people following you around everywhere and pulling out pictures of you in high-waisted jeans and scrunchy socks everytime you wear something nice and saying "Look how far you've come! Remember how embarrassing this was?!"
The movie follows Hathaway, as Kim, as she returns home after a long stint in rehab for her sister, Rachel's, wedding. Kim may have been in rehab for a while, but we know she is not quite straight yet, what with her heavy black eyeliner and choppy black hair. She's very tough. Though the look is a bit of a cliché, Hathaway is convincing as a former user because she is the former user who grew up in an upper-class Connecticut family. The sisters have a complicated relationship. They're both jealous of one another for the attention they receive from their father. Yet, even when they are in the middle of a fight, they can end up laughing. I liked that the relationship was multi-dimensional, and that no matter what bad thing Kim has done in the past (and she did a pretty bad thing), they are still part of that strange bond called family.
Kim returns home to her pretty sister and their pretty home for the weekend activities of her sister's inexplicable Indian-themed wedding. Her sister is white and her fiancé is black and not once did I see a real Indian person in the movie. This leads me to believe that the choice of the theme was made just for the sake of being quirky. And if there's one thing I hate it's quirkiness for the sake of being quirky.
Kim and Rachel's parents are divorced and each are in a new relationship. Their mother is involved, but distant, and the audience begins to feel as frustrated about that relationship as the daughters do. The thing about the movie is that no character goes through a big change. Even though there is a climactic scene between Kim and her mother, it changes nothing. Kim may make some apologies during the weekend, but in the end, I think she is essentially the same person, just with a couple of blonde highlights in her choppy black bob.
By far the most annoying part of this movie, aside from the fact that it goes nowhere, is the wedding reception. In the middle of the Indian-themed reception, Brazilian Carnival dancers and drummers show up and the next 20 minutes play like an actual wedding video. I don't know anyone who likes to watch wedding videos except for the respective wedding's bride and groom. There is hardly any dialogue during this part and no story development. This editor must have laughed all the way to the bank. And as an added note, remember that this is all taking place in Connecticut. I think this must be the most ethnically diverse event to happen in Connecticut in...well, all of time actually.
Watching this movie, I went through some of the basic movements of the Twelves Steps program myself. First, I admitted I was powerless over the plot. Then I made a decision to turn my filmgoing experience over to the filmmakers. I then made a list of all the people I have ever harmed and promptly called them all during the movie so that I might earn some karmic retribution and the movie would improve. Finally I had a spiritual awakening that this movie was hopeless and promised to carry this message to other potential viewers. You don't need a movie that looks like it was shot by Veruca Salt. Follow the light(ing) to a better movie. You're worth it.
