Entre dos maridos

I was going to start out saying this is a Woody Allen clone film, but then thought well, heck, there's a whole genre of films out there that I would call the upper-middle class family relationship genre. What usually implies Woody Allen is when they're set in New York, as this film is, and the family is Jewish, which was not stated in this film, nor was it not stated.

That said, The Wilde Wedding had much about it that kept me watching: good looking and interesting characters, some of whom are also celebrities in the arts and/or literature; pleasing physical settings in the suburbs and rural areas not far outside NYC; and ultimately, musings on the nature of love and marital relationships, and others, while the families act out some of these relationships.

What I especially liked about it was that even when things got somewhat strained between characters, overall the tone of the film was good-natured. There is some tongue-in-cheek humor, and some wine- and shroom- fueled antics which ultimately contribute to the overall happy mood.

Though it touches on some of the heavy subjects of life, highlighted with quotes by some of the heavies such as Shakespeare and Nietzsche, The Wilde Wedding is an hour and a half's worth of enjoyable film viewing.

Mackenzie Darling is filming her family as her movie star grandma Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) is getting married again. Her new groom is famed writer Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart). Her first husband and first love Laurence Darling (John Malkovich) is still in the picture. There are cousins, uncles, and Mackenzie's divorced parents, Priscilla Jones (Minnie Driver) and Ethan Darling (Peter Facinelli).

Filmmaker Damian Harris is following the wrong characters. There are too many of them with too many relationships. I had trouble following the kids and some of the uncles. With the great cast up top, this should be concentrating more on the veteran love triangle. They should be the stars of the show. The writing is average at best. It's meandering and rambling. It's quirky without actually being funny. There are all kinds of possibilities that don't get enough nurturing. The biggest sin is wasting these great actors' time.

Some great talent in this film, beginning, at the top, with Glenn Close. Unfortunately, the plot hangs on John Malkovich, and, for me, there was no reason to get behind a positive outcome that includes his character. Back to the great cast, though, the young cast were superb (Bridgette Lundy-Paine and Grace Van Patten) with Minnie Driver and Patrick Stewart showing off their comedic chops. The premise was predictable (no matter how much I yelled at the screen, "No, not Malkovich!") but most of the time, the characters were drawn to be unappealing, vapid and uninteresting. So, all thing considered, I give this film a 6 (fair) out of 10. {Romantic Comedy}

It's another Hollywood movie about the blessed crowd. Too talented, too rich, too burdened with too much. A trauma and resolution after too much sex, too much booze, too much of drugs. A masturbatory achievement dream for the rest of us to admire. To bad.

An all-star ensemble cast gathers at the palatial home of retired movie star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close), as she prepares to marry (her fifth) novelist Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart). Close and John Malkovich,who portrays her first husband Laurence, are strong on screen, and I liked the performance of Yael Stone, as Clementine, one of Harold's daughters, in a supporting role.

However, despite the terrific cast, I found the film itself quite disappointing with almost all the characters self-indulgent and shallow. Their continuous attempts at having sexual flings get quite tedious.

Overall, this movie, written and directed by Damian Harris, just came across to me as hollow and soulless.