Tuesday Night is Film Night is going way back in time tonight. Last week was a brand new film, this week we uncover a classic, but will it be an education as we watch;
The Graduate
Well to say this has been on our "Watch List" for quite a while is an understatement. Yes, we have to go all the way back to 1967 for The Graduate, although it's only been on the list for the last few years.
What can we say about The Graduate that hasn't been said already? Well, we're not sure but we will give it a go and provide a synopsis and a critique.
Starring Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock and Anne Bancroft as the seductive Mrs Robinson, The Graduate is a quirky, sometimes dark, comedic tale of lust and love. Benjamin is the 21 year old graduate who returns home to his parents house to find a jubilant crowd to celebrate his educational achievements. Unfortunately Ben is none too pleased by the attention, preferring to spend time alone in his room, enjoying the sound of silence. Coerced to make an appearance, he reluctantly shows himself to the crowd, only to be forced back into seclusion, this time pursued by one Mrs Robinson. Mrs Robinson asks Ben to give her a lift home and this is where the seduction and affair starts. Interestingly, although Ben is 21 and Mrs Robinson is; ".....nearly twice your age....", Hoffman and Bancroft were 30 and 36 respectively at the time of filming.
The Robinson's daughter; Elaine is around the same age as Ben and as both families have been close for years, it seems sensible for Ben to be more interested in Elaine, Ben's parents are certainly pushing for that liaison, but Ben understandably is reticent and his ongoing affair with Mrs Robinson is a bit of a showstopper. In fact, Mrs Robinson point blank refuses any kind of tryst between Ben and Elaine. However, this doesn't stop Ben and this momentary love triangle implodes in a bout of impropriety.
That should suffice for the synopsis, obviously the story continues, but if you haven't already enjoyed The Graduate we won't spoil the ending.
The Graduate is a classic film, albeit somewhat dated viewing some 47 years after release, but it has stood the test of time and is pleasant story. A couple of points to make that entices The Graduate from the shadows of mediocrity and into the spotlight of glory. Firstly; there is the fantastic cast, Bancroft and Hoffman are sublime. Ann Bancroft especially as the the seductive siren that is Mrs Robinson, providing a Sixties style of sexual allure. Benjamin's father is played by William Daniels, who later to rose to further fame as the voice of KITT the futuristc car and star of Knight Rider. Secondly, and very importantly the soundtrack provided by Simon and Garfunkel is fantastic. All songs were penned by Paul Simon and we defy you not to be singing along to the musical backdrop to this film.
It was definitely worth waiting for and we are pleased that we have seen this film, although it was quirky and the comedy was thin. The moody Benjamin Braddock was a tad precocious and troubled to start off with, but the story and characters played out quite well eventually.
What can you say? It's a classic, although the TNiFN Rating may not reflect that.
TNiFN Rating 70%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Bad Neighbours - 27th May 2014
A slight diversion for Tuesday Night is Film Night, we actually went to the cinema to watch a new release! Here's the blog for;
Bad Neighbours
It’s true that Bad Neighbours could have been a really terrible film, but it is of that popular irreverent comedy genre of recent history that seems to get away with being bad.
Luckily Bad Neighbours isn't actually bad, but it is only quite good. With 97 minutes of anarchic comedy. A decent cast that includes Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and an almost funny Zac Efron, who tends to appear half naked most of the time just for the titillation factor. The story flits between unfunny, funny and outrageous.
The plot revolves around Marc and Kelly Radner (Rogen and Byrne), a young couple with a six-month-old daughter, Stella and their new neighbours; a fraternity of university students. The club, "Delta Psi Beta", is led by president Teddy Sanders (Efron) who befriends the couple. However the students’ penchant for endless partying leads the couple next door to eventually call the police, an act that the university students see as a breakdown of their neighbourly friendship.
So a war of neighbours ensues, as each house attempts to force the other to leave the neighbourhood. Things escalate quickly and sometimes hilariously, with each antic more ridiculous than the last.
Bad Neighbours has fun with the idea of people coping with what is expected from them at a certain point in their life. On one side we have a young couple desperately trying to prove to themselves that life has not changed as they struggle to cope as new parents. And the fun loving students who soon realise that there is more to life than wall-to-wall partying.
It's a fun film, the jokes could be better and longer though. Not sure that it was worth the full ticket price at the cinema! Luckily we had vouchers.
TNiFN Rating 77%
IMDB Link
Bad Neighbours
It’s true that Bad Neighbours could have been a really terrible film, but it is of that popular irreverent comedy genre of recent history that seems to get away with being bad.
Luckily Bad Neighbours isn't actually bad, but it is only quite good. With 97 minutes of anarchic comedy. A decent cast that includes Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and an almost funny Zac Efron, who tends to appear half naked most of the time just for the titillation factor. The story flits between unfunny, funny and outrageous.
The plot revolves around Marc and Kelly Radner (Rogen and Byrne), a young couple with a six-month-old daughter, Stella and their new neighbours; a fraternity of university students. The club, "Delta Psi Beta", is led by president Teddy Sanders (Efron) who befriends the couple. However the students’ penchant for endless partying leads the couple next door to eventually call the police, an act that the university students see as a breakdown of their neighbourly friendship.
So a war of neighbours ensues, as each house attempts to force the other to leave the neighbourhood. Things escalate quickly and sometimes hilariously, with each antic more ridiculous than the last.
Bad Neighbours has fun with the idea of people coping with what is expected from them at a certain point in their life. On one side we have a young couple desperately trying to prove to themselves that life has not changed as they struggle to cope as new parents. And the fun loving students who soon realise that there is more to life than wall-to-wall partying.
It's a fun film, the jokes could be better and longer though. Not sure that it was worth the full ticket price at the cinema! Luckily we had vouchers.
TNiFN Rating 77%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - 20th May 2014
Tuesday Night is Film Night is watching this week;
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Guy Ritchie is back at the helm for this 2011 sequel to Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprising their roles as the master criminologist and his trusty sidekick. This time they are out to thwart the evil plans of one Professor Moriarty, who is intent on making his wealth from the spoils of war. Set in the 1890's once more into the breach run Holmes and Watson in another tale of derring-do.
As with the 2009 film Guy Ritchie and the team proffer a two hour tale of intrigue, suspense, mind games, logic and brilliant effects all set to the backdrop of Victorian London and beyond. Again Downey Jr. portrays our hero as a rather swash buckling and fists flying individual who relies on his massive power of observation and logical deduction, as well as a few swift bouts of fisticuffs. Some Sherlockian purists may not enjoy the more physical adventures, but the thought processes and mental acrobatics are still there, as Messrs Holmes and Watson pursue the evil genius Moriaty.
John Watson manages to marry Mary, although with no real help from his best man; Holmes. Indeed Holmes turns the stag night, the marriage and the subsequent honeymoon to his advantage, to ensure that Watson is around to deal with Moriaty's henchmen.
The rest of the actual story is a little complicated and involved, therefore we could not do it justice here, needless to say it is a tale of good versus evil and the battling brain and brawn of the two adversaries. Jared Harris makes a rather wonderful Moriaty, playing it cool but sinister. Whilst Holmes brings in his brother Mycroft for assistance, superbly played by that doyen of Britishness; Stephen Fry. When Fry first appeared it was an absolute delight, and one hoped that this was not just a fleeting cameo and luckily enough it wasn't, and his presence bought a somewhat calming, proper influence, with a comedic undercurrent, to the plot twists.
The film is fun to watch, although the action is a tad over the top, it's the use of narration over slow motion thought processes that we enjoy, where a scene is described, then replayed in real time, giving you an insight into the character of Holmes. There's also some good use of high speed camera work, to give some ultra slow motion effects, over the top of live action. A most enjoyable film, better in some regards to the first outing for this pairing.
Not much else to say really, apart from at 129 minutes it is fairly long, but should hopefully keep you entertained for that period of time.
TNiFN Rating 75%
IMDB Link
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Guy Ritchie is back at the helm for this 2011 sequel to Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprising their roles as the master criminologist and his trusty sidekick. This time they are out to thwart the evil plans of one Professor Moriarty, who is intent on making his wealth from the spoils of war. Set in the 1890's once more into the breach run Holmes and Watson in another tale of derring-do.
As with the 2009 film Guy Ritchie and the team proffer a two hour tale of intrigue, suspense, mind games, logic and brilliant effects all set to the backdrop of Victorian London and beyond. Again Downey Jr. portrays our hero as a rather swash buckling and fists flying individual who relies on his massive power of observation and logical deduction, as well as a few swift bouts of fisticuffs. Some Sherlockian purists may not enjoy the more physical adventures, but the thought processes and mental acrobatics are still there, as Messrs Holmes and Watson pursue the evil genius Moriaty.
John Watson manages to marry Mary, although with no real help from his best man; Holmes. Indeed Holmes turns the stag night, the marriage and the subsequent honeymoon to his advantage, to ensure that Watson is around to deal with Moriaty's henchmen.
The rest of the actual story is a little complicated and involved, therefore we could not do it justice here, needless to say it is a tale of good versus evil and the battling brain and brawn of the two adversaries. Jared Harris makes a rather wonderful Moriaty, playing it cool but sinister. Whilst Holmes brings in his brother Mycroft for assistance, superbly played by that doyen of Britishness; Stephen Fry. When Fry first appeared it was an absolute delight, and one hoped that this was not just a fleeting cameo and luckily enough it wasn't, and his presence bought a somewhat calming, proper influence, with a comedic undercurrent, to the plot twists.
The film is fun to watch, although the action is a tad over the top, it's the use of narration over slow motion thought processes that we enjoy, where a scene is described, then replayed in real time, giving you an insight into the character of Holmes. There's also some good use of high speed camera work, to give some ultra slow motion effects, over the top of live action. A most enjoyable film, better in some regards to the first outing for this pairing.
Not much else to say really, apart from at 129 minutes it is fairly long, but should hopefully keep you entertained for that period of time.
TNiFN Rating 75%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - 13th May 2014
It's sequel week here at Tuesday Night is Film Night, so get your big knickers on, for the sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary;
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Yes the hapless and sometime hopeless Bridget Jones is back in this bittersweet tale of loves lost and found. The somewhat delightful Renée Zellweger reprises her role as the scatterbrain Bridget whose diary turns over a new leaf as we pick up where the diary left off last time.
Bridget is in love (still) with the dashing Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) however, their relationship starts to slowly unwind as personalities clash and assumptions are made about others who seem to be getting a bit too close. Matters are made slightly worse by the reappearance of Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) who had discovered Bridget's big knickers in the previous film.
All this loosely leads, via various plot twists and amusing anecdotal scenes to Bridget and Mark parting company and Bridget and Daniel working closely together. Stir into the mix some drug smuggling, a spell in a Thai correctional facility and the imminent reaffirmation of Bridget's parents marriage vows, then you get a delightful romantic comedy from the pen of Helen Fielding, again breathing life into the mundanities that class as the life and loves of one Miss B. Jones.
Moving away from the detail of the story, as this is not so important here, what we have with Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is a repeat performance of the winning formula that was Bridget Jones's Diary. It would have been very easy to follow up the original with a sequel that was just cashing in, but this sequel does not do that. It picks up where we left Bridget and continues that journey, yes in the same predictable manner, but it's still fresh, funny, touching and entertaining. This is due in some part to the wonderful writing of Helen Fielding, allied with the outstanding performances of Zellweger, Firth and Grant. It is fair to say that Hugh Grant plays Hugh Grant, in so much as the character of Cleaver is Grant and vice verse, but you couldn't really pick anyone better for the role. Also Colin Firth again plays a fairly straight laced , stiff upper lip English character (see Love Actually for instance), but again this is the ideal persona for the forlorn lover of Bridget.
Other notable characters to pick up on are Jim Broadbent as Bridget's father. Broadbent is just a sublime actor bringing to life the dourest of characters, unfortunately underused in this sequel. As is Celia Imrie, who had the briefest of appearances, which is such a same for such a wonderful actress. Jeremy Paxman even makes a cameo appearance, possibly having more dialogue than poor Celia. At the end of the film we are treated to an appearance of the pre-Midsomer Murders Neil Dudgeon as a nameless taxi driver. Some other bit parts go to Ian McNeice (Doc Martin and Doctor Who) and Jessica Hynes (The Royle Family and Spaced) to name but a couple.
We would also like to make a note regarding the soundtrack, which as we have said before can make all the difference to the ambiance of a film and here is no exception, some brilliantly chosen incidental music adds another layer of gloss to an already shining film.
There is something for almost everyone within the movie, whether it is the dashing figures of Firth and Grant cutting a swathe across the screen inducing the female contingent to break into synchronised drooling. Or the strangely alluring qualities of Renée Zellweger entertaining the male section of the audience with her cute giggle, making her wobbly bits dance to a delightful tune.
Obviously this film is not going to be to everyone's liking, but here at TNiFN Towers, will do love the romantic chick-flick comedy drama's and this film hits the spot entertaining all members of the household.
As for the scores, it's a thumbs up and a wave of the big knickers from us!
TNiFN Rating 75%
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Gravity - 6th May 2014
Tuesday Night is Film Night is here yet again. This week we branch out into the science fiction genre (cue a pun with the title), but will it be blast off? Or do we fall down to earth with a bump? As we watch;
Gravity
(Who thinks up these rubbish preludes?)
Enough of this tomfoolery, down to the business of reviewing the film. Well, it clearly divided the audience here at TNiFN Towers, as it is a clear departure from the much loved rom-com genre.
Gravity stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, as Dr Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalsky respectively. Kowalsky is an experienced astronaut, whilst Dr. Stone is a medical engineer on her first mission. The film opens with both of them working from the orbiting space shuttle, fixing a tethered Hubble Space Telescope. During their EVA (extra-vehicular activity) they encounter space debris from a recently destroyed Russian satellite which has destroyed other orbiting satellites, causing a massive wave of deadly debris. This debris smashes into the space shuttle, forcing Kowalsky and Stone to abandon their mission and their shuttle, as it is damaged beyond all use. Thus alone and drifting, with dwindling oxygen supplies and limited maneuverability left in Kowalsky's jet-pack, they need to find a way to safety.
OK as an opener, it is pretty spectacular. From a level headed, don't like sci-fi, prefer a bit of reality perspective, the actual concept of orbiting the earth, separated from the space shuttle, fixing a huge telescope is actually grounded in fact, whether anyone would feasibly survive a shower of satellite debris and the subsequent drift into to open space is another matter. However, you need to detach slightly from reality and go with the flow here, for what the film lacks in physical fact, it more than makes up for in cinematic splendour. The effects are quite simply stunning, if you step away from the screen for one one moment and try to work out how they manage to get Sandra Bullock floating weightlessly across the dark backdrop of space, you'll get a modicum of brain-ache. Visually, the physics and fluidity of weightless movement are spot on and are key to a film that sets out to blow your mind with the effects. In fact, the first establishing scene that you see, was filmed in one continuous shot, lasting over twelve minutes. It is stunningly beautiful to watch.
Unfortunately, the special effects, stunning as they are, are to the detriment of the story. The story is simple and it really only needs to be simple. You are stranded in space and need to get home, easy. However, writer, director and producer Alfonso Cuarón clearly wanted to add more action and we are somewhat over loaded by tragedy and events, that it became more and more less plausible that anyone should survive this calamitous adventure. It's almost Die Hard in Space. Yes, you need to suspend reality for a bit, but for a film grounded in fact, it would have been nice to lessen the action and heighten the drama, have less impossibles and more plausibles. Plus a tad more dialogue, more feeling and depth would have been nice. A film cannot be good just on effects alone.
Having said that, although it was spurned as being "not much cop" by some members of the judging panel, others were more positive about the film. It is clearly a film for those who enjoy space, science fiction, (as well as fact) and a bit of an action thriller.
Sandra Bullock is very impressive as Dr Ryan Stone, she also looks mightily impressive floating around the International Space Station (that she happens to hijack), after she discards her space suit! George Clooney is not so good, acting very much like a real life Buzz Lightyear.
In summary, Gravity is visually stunning, with plenty of action. Acting and storyline was somewhat disappointing. Watching Gravity at the cinema would have made it a lot more visually impressive, watching at home does not bring that cinematic experience, unless you have a very large 3D TV.
TNiFN Rating 56%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Sherlock Holmes - 29th April 2014
Here we go then with film number 201 and this week we have some nostalgic drama with the 2009 Robert Downey Jr. film;
Sherlock Holmes
Where to start with this film? Well to cheat slightly let's plagiarise the synopsis from IMDB, just to be brief and to the point;
"After finally catching serial killer and occult sorcerer Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler."
Apologies for nicking the synopsis, but the important points to consider, we believe, is the way that the legendary characters are bought to the big screen with this 2009 Guy Ritchie movie. Yes, of course the story is important, there's not much film without a plot, but it is fairly well known that the story is going to be centred around Holmes facing certain adversaries, so we can gloss over that for the moment.
It is obvious that when retelling a story or classic characters are portrayed in a film, that comparisons will be drawn. We will always compare the different versions; is Basil Rathbone superior to Benedict Cumberbatch? Does Jeremy Brett capture the character better than Robert Downey Jr.? There's no right or wrong answer, it's purely a matter of taste. How Downey Jr. compares to Conan Doyle's original Holmes is not for us to debate here, this is down to the fact that nobody at TNiFN Towers has actually read the books! Although they have been sat on the book shelves gathering dust for many a year.
Anyway, to the film. Guy Ritchie directs this 128 minute movie, which regales us with the plot as shown above. Robert Downey Jr. puts in a marvelous display as the cunning detective genius that is Sherlock Holmes, ably assisted by Jude Law as Dr. Watson. The Law and Downey Jr. pairing are quite splendid as Holmes and Watson. They clearly bounce off of each other as the dependable duo. Watson down to earth and always ready to defend Holmes when his off the wall methodology leads him into a tight corner. The other major players from the original stories are also in evidence; Inspector Lestrade who is described as a "sallow, rat-faced and dark-eyed fellow" in the original Conan-Doyle book; A Study in Scarlet, is played superbly by Eddie Marsan. Irene Adler, who first appeared in the short story "A Scandal in Bohemia" is portrayed here by the ever-so lovely Rachel McAdams, (The Notebook and The Vow).
What really hits the mark also with this adaptation is the way that the filmmakers have recreated in all it's glory, Victorian London complete with Tower Bridge still under construction. The special effects are fantastic and compliment the live action superbly. Guy Ritchie adopts several styles to portray the action, by which we mean, for instance; there is some good use of slow motion sections with narration where Holmes describes how he will get out of a tricky situation before proceeding to do so in real-time. Also there are some good use of flashbacks along with some innovative camera work to totally immerse the viewer in the action.
All in all the first outing for Robert Downey Jr. as the astute mental logician Holmes is top notch. He ticks all the boxes as the master of deduction and the close characters around him ably support him perfectly. There's a lot of action and a lot of information set before you, so you need to keep your wits about you not to miss some salient information, but it keeps you enthralled and watching right until the end.
Looking forward to watching the next installment, which will be coming to TNiFN Towers in the coming weeks.
As to the scoring, well it is not a romantic comedy, so the female contingent will mark it down for that. Also, it didn't keep everyone enthralled judging by the heavy eyes and gently snores emanating from some certain parties in front of the screen! However, Sherlock Holmes comes out fairly well with;
TNiFN Rating 73%
IMDB Link
Sherlock Holmes
Where to start with this film? Well to cheat slightly let's plagiarise the synopsis from IMDB, just to be brief and to the point;
"After finally catching serial killer and occult sorcerer Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler."
Apologies for nicking the synopsis, but the important points to consider, we believe, is the way that the legendary characters are bought to the big screen with this 2009 Guy Ritchie movie. Yes, of course the story is important, there's not much film without a plot, but it is fairly well known that the story is going to be centred around Holmes facing certain adversaries, so we can gloss over that for the moment.
It is obvious that when retelling a story or classic characters are portrayed in a film, that comparisons will be drawn. We will always compare the different versions; is Basil Rathbone superior to Benedict Cumberbatch? Does Jeremy Brett capture the character better than Robert Downey Jr.? There's no right or wrong answer, it's purely a matter of taste. How Downey Jr. compares to Conan Doyle's original Holmes is not for us to debate here, this is down to the fact that nobody at TNiFN Towers has actually read the books! Although they have been sat on the book shelves gathering dust for many a year.
Anyway, to the film. Guy Ritchie directs this 128 minute movie, which regales us with the plot as shown above. Robert Downey Jr. puts in a marvelous display as the cunning detective genius that is Sherlock Holmes, ably assisted by Jude Law as Dr. Watson. The Law and Downey Jr. pairing are quite splendid as Holmes and Watson. They clearly bounce off of each other as the dependable duo. Watson down to earth and always ready to defend Holmes when his off the wall methodology leads him into a tight corner. The other major players from the original stories are also in evidence; Inspector Lestrade who is described as a "sallow, rat-faced and dark-eyed fellow" in the original Conan-Doyle book; A Study in Scarlet, is played superbly by Eddie Marsan. Irene Adler, who first appeared in the short story "A Scandal in Bohemia" is portrayed here by the ever-so lovely Rachel McAdams, (The Notebook and The Vow).
What really hits the mark also with this adaptation is the way that the filmmakers have recreated in all it's glory, Victorian London complete with Tower Bridge still under construction. The special effects are fantastic and compliment the live action superbly. Guy Ritchie adopts several styles to portray the action, by which we mean, for instance; there is some good use of slow motion sections with narration where Holmes describes how he will get out of a tricky situation before proceeding to do so in real-time. Also there are some good use of flashbacks along with some innovative camera work to totally immerse the viewer in the action.
All in all the first outing for Robert Downey Jr. as the astute mental logician Holmes is top notch. He ticks all the boxes as the master of deduction and the close characters around him ably support him perfectly. There's a lot of action and a lot of information set before you, so you need to keep your wits about you not to miss some salient information, but it keeps you enthralled and watching right until the end.
Looking forward to watching the next installment, which will be coming to TNiFN Towers in the coming weeks.
As to the scoring, well it is not a romantic comedy, so the female contingent will mark it down for that. Also, it didn't keep everyone enthralled judging by the heavy eyes and gently snores emanating from some certain parties in front of the screen! However, Sherlock Holmes comes out fairly well with;
TNiFN Rating 73%
IMDB Link
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
The Big Wedding - 22nd April 2014
Welcome back to Tuesday Night is Film Night. This week we check out a film from 2013, but will the bells be ringing as we watch;
The Big Wedding
We should just point out at this juncture that this movie is the 200th TNiFN film! Happy anniversary to us!
Back to the blog.
With an all star cast and a quirky storyline this comedy has all the makings of being a fun movie. Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon head up the cast list in this 2013 comedy where Don (De Niro) and Ellie (Keaton) are a divorced couple. Don is now living with Bebe (Sarandon). Don and Ellie have two children; Lyla and Jared, plus an adopted son Alejandro, played by Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses), Topher Grace and Ben Barnes respectively.
With it so far? It gets worse.
Alejandro is marrying Missy (Amanda Seyfried), however Alejandro's natural, Colombian mother is a devout Catholic and will be attending the wedding and as such would be aghast to know that Alejandro's adopted parents are divorced, a huge sin apparently.
So there's only one thing for it, apart from tell truth obviously and that is to lie and assume that Don and Ellie are still married. Clearly this subterfuge will help smooth the waters between Alejandro, his natural mother and the Pope, but clearly Bebe has her nose put out of joint, even though Ellie was (and still is, to a point) her best friend.
Still maintaining a grip on the plot?
It is an overtly complicated film, in as such the multiplicity of layers can take awhile to untangle at first, but once the characters and relationships have been established, things become clearer, but that's when it starts to unravel again and all sorts of chaos ensues, whilst trying to maintain the facade to save face in front of the Catholics.
The comedy is low key and subtle in places and laugh out loud in others, but not overly comedic. The stand out cast member for us was De Niro, he plays the somewhat louche Don very well and he has a natural talent for swearing in the right manner to make it totally believable. Robin Williams also makes an appearance as the priest who is to officiate at the wedding and although his scenes are few, he maintains a high standard and fits perfectly into the role.
Overall the film was mediocre, the comedy and sentiment were not outstanding and although the plot was farcical, the writing didn't fully capitalise on this and we were left wanting more. The multi-faceted, interleaved threads were confusing at first, but relevant to the whole story, but perhaps this overly complicated the story and the comedy suffered as a result.
In summation, it's a nice little film, running in at 89 minutes, but just not enough conviction to make it a better than "good" film.
TNiFN Rating 67%
IMDB Link
The Big Wedding
We should just point out at this juncture that this movie is the 200th TNiFN film! Happy anniversary to us!
Back to the blog.
With an all star cast and a quirky storyline this comedy has all the makings of being a fun movie. Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton and Susan Sarandon head up the cast list in this 2013 comedy where Don (De Niro) and Ellie (Keaton) are a divorced couple. Don is now living with Bebe (Sarandon). Don and Ellie have two children; Lyla and Jared, plus an adopted son Alejandro, played by Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses), Topher Grace and Ben Barnes respectively.
With it so far? It gets worse.
Alejandro is marrying Missy (Amanda Seyfried), however Alejandro's natural, Colombian mother is a devout Catholic and will be attending the wedding and as such would be aghast to know that Alejandro's adopted parents are divorced, a huge sin apparently.
So there's only one thing for it, apart from tell truth obviously and that is to lie and assume that Don and Ellie are still married. Clearly this subterfuge will help smooth the waters between Alejandro, his natural mother and the Pope, but clearly Bebe has her nose put out of joint, even though Ellie was (and still is, to a point) her best friend.
Still maintaining a grip on the plot?
It is an overtly complicated film, in as such the multiplicity of layers can take awhile to untangle at first, but once the characters and relationships have been established, things become clearer, but that's when it starts to unravel again and all sorts of chaos ensues, whilst trying to maintain the facade to save face in front of the Catholics.
The comedy is low key and subtle in places and laugh out loud in others, but not overly comedic. The stand out cast member for us was De Niro, he plays the somewhat louche Don very well and he has a natural talent for swearing in the right manner to make it totally believable. Robin Williams also makes an appearance as the priest who is to officiate at the wedding and although his scenes are few, he maintains a high standard and fits perfectly into the role.
Overall the film was mediocre, the comedy and sentiment were not outstanding and although the plot was farcical, the writing didn't fully capitalise on this and we were left wanting more. The multi-faceted, interleaved threads were confusing at first, but relevant to the whole story, but perhaps this overly complicated the story and the comedy suffered as a result.
In summation, it's a nice little film, running in at 89 minutes, but just not enough conviction to make it a better than "good" film.
TNiFN Rating 67%
IMDB Link
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