My Best Friend's Wedding
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'My Best Friend's Wedding', directed by Aussie P.J. Hogan (who directed last yrs. fine marital flick, Muriel's Wedding), is a romantic comedy of the highest order. Julianne (Julia Roberts) is a successful food critic. Her editor, George (Rupert Everett), who accompanies her on food tastings, happens to be gay. Believe it or not, this is the 1st 'couple' in the rom com equation. With George, she reminisces about a brief relationship from her past involving a freelance sports writer, Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney), her best friend. Julianne & Michael were so close that they'd made a pact to each other that if neither of them found a mate by the age 28 that they'd marry each other. She doesn't want to marry him or anything, but the pact is fast approaching. Matters change, however, when she receives a phone call from Michael, telling her that he's been dating a woman named Kim (Cameron Diaz), is madly in love & is marrying her!
The daughter of a billionaire, she's apparently perfect in every way (looks, brains, $$). Michael & Kim are the 2nd 'couple' in this rom com equation. Now jealous, desperate & realizing she loves him herself, Julianne sets out to Chicago (as support to Michael) to break off the wedding. What ensues is a series of crazy events geared to turn Michael against Kimmie for good. One of her tricks is having George show-up, pretending to be her fiance (to make Michael jealous). Sure, George goes along with it for a bit, but also sees that Julianne has gone in too deep; and he attempts to help her face the truth about if her feelings are long term or short. And when she maneuvers a situation that throw's Michael's trust of Kimmie out the window ... she, too, questions herself. Does she really want to break up a potentially good thing for Michael when she's not certain of the reciprocity of his feelings?
'My Best Friend's Wedding' works on several levels. For one, there is a great homage to the music of Burt Bacharach which plays all throughout the proceedings; including a nice tongue-in-cheek opening montage. Another reason it works is its intelligent screenplay. Romantic comedies tend to fall in the cliche trap. So while this film has the ingredients of a frothy chick flick, it also has wit, insight, surprises & enough to satisfy all audiences. And a 3rd reason why it works is its cast. Thanks to them, we become engaged in the story and how things will turn out for all of them. I mentioned surprises before. There are enough things going on in the plot which prevents us from assuming who will end up with who; so the film works as a sentimental rom com, a black comedy, a mystery, & a morality tale. It has something to say about how we live, love, act, react, & commit (to both people & life matters).
There are a few stand-out scenes to mention. One occurs at a restaurant where an impromptu sing-along allows for everyone to join in singing. One person at the table starts, & before long, the ditziest of females & the most stoic of males find themselves singing over dinner. It's just a random, but fun little morsel that's dropped into the middle of the movie. It fits with the tone of the film. And it's a scene that will probably be remembered years from now. Another scene involves Michael & Julianne as they reminisce on the past 9 yrs. of their friendship. He mentions 'moments passing by', & that if you don't act on what you want right then & there, it may be gone forever. I swear, the cadence of the dialogue, the swell of music, the look in Julia Roberts' eyes ... I have goose bumps thinking about it right now. It's just a haunting, yet lovely scene altogether. And it shows how deft P.J. Hogan is at directing 2 such memorable, yet different types of scenes.
Julia Roberts plays Julianne as confident one moment, then jealous, cool, then irrational, mean, & then vulnerable; unsure of every burgeoning emotion. We feel for & with Julianne. That's a testament to Roberts' keen performance -- I love her. Cameron Diaz is cheerful, perky, & believable as Kimmie. We want to dislike her as much as Julianne thinks she does, but we just can't. Rupert Everett steals scenes as Julianne's wickedly smart & refined editor. He usually says what we think, & does so in an extremely likeable, engaging manner. The only performance that's a bit of a misfire is Dermot Mulroney's. He's not bad, just very low-key; which makes us wonder what Julianne or Kimmie (for that matter) sees in him. By the end, we get it. But it takes a while for us to figure him out. 'MBFW' is an odd duck; a wonderful rom com that appeals to both the heart & the mind.
The daughter of a billionaire, she's apparently perfect in every way (looks, brains, $$). Michael & Kim are the 2nd 'couple' in this rom com equation. Now jealous, desperate & realizing she loves him herself, Julianne sets out to Chicago (as support to Michael) to break off the wedding. What ensues is a series of crazy events geared to turn Michael against Kimmie for good. One of her tricks is having George show-up, pretending to be her fiance (to make Michael jealous). Sure, George goes along with it for a bit, but also sees that Julianne has gone in too deep; and he attempts to help her face the truth about if her feelings are long term or short. And when she maneuvers a situation that throw's Michael's trust of Kimmie out the window ... she, too, questions herself. Does she really want to break up a potentially good thing for Michael when she's not certain of the reciprocity of his feelings?
'My Best Friend's Wedding' works on several levels. For one, there is a great homage to the music of Burt Bacharach which plays all throughout the proceedings; including a nice tongue-in-cheek opening montage. Another reason it works is its intelligent screenplay. Romantic comedies tend to fall in the cliche trap. So while this film has the ingredients of a frothy chick flick, it also has wit, insight, surprises & enough to satisfy all audiences. And a 3rd reason why it works is its cast. Thanks to them, we become engaged in the story and how things will turn out for all of them. I mentioned surprises before. There are enough things going on in the plot which prevents us from assuming who will end up with who; so the film works as a sentimental rom com, a black comedy, a mystery, & a morality tale. It has something to say about how we live, love, act, react, & commit (to both people & life matters).
There are a few stand-out scenes to mention. One occurs at a restaurant where an impromptu sing-along allows for everyone to join in singing. One person at the table starts, & before long, the ditziest of females & the most stoic of males find themselves singing over dinner. It's just a random, but fun little morsel that's dropped into the middle of the movie. It fits with the tone of the film. And it's a scene that will probably be remembered years from now. Another scene involves Michael & Julianne as they reminisce on the past 9 yrs. of their friendship. He mentions 'moments passing by', & that if you don't act on what you want right then & there, it may be gone forever. I swear, the cadence of the dialogue, the swell of music, the look in Julia Roberts' eyes ... I have goose bumps thinking about it right now. It's just a haunting, yet lovely scene altogether. And it shows how deft P.J. Hogan is at directing 2 such memorable, yet different types of scenes.
Julia Roberts plays Julianne as confident one moment, then jealous, cool, then irrational, mean, & then vulnerable; unsure of every burgeoning emotion. We feel for & with Julianne. That's a testament to Roberts' keen performance -- I love her. Cameron Diaz is cheerful, perky, & believable as Kimmie. We want to dislike her as much as Julianne thinks she does, but we just can't. Rupert Everett steals scenes as Julianne's wickedly smart & refined editor. He usually says what we think, & does so in an extremely likeable, engaging manner. The only performance that's a bit of a misfire is Dermot Mulroney's. He's not bad, just very low-key; which makes us wonder what Julianne or Kimmie (for that matter) sees in him. By the end, we get it. But it takes a while for us to figure him out. 'MBFW' is an odd duck; a wonderful rom com that appeals to both the heart & the mind.