ematerso
Just before I sat down to watch this movie I had painted a floor. Watching that dry would have been more interesting. I continued to watch as an exercise in masochism.Maybe because I find the lead actress very unpleasant. She drank way to much and pretty much continuously. Never did really get who all the other people were, yes, a sister and a mother. Was the vicar the father? An annoying missionary guest. Assorted friends? Relatives?My two stars go to the person(s) responsible for the selection of the house, the costumer, the overall period look which is achieved very nicely, including hairdos.The viewer certainly understands the main points of the story. They don't have to be re-told over and over again, in flashbacks and from different characters. If these were real people I would not wish any of them well.
TxMike
I found this one on Netflix streaming movies. I was curious about it because one of the stars is Elizabeth McGovern who also stars in the very popular "Downton Abbey" series. While I enjoyed it mildly overall, it is an easily forgettable movie.Set in 1932 England, the opening sequence, of an old-fashioned press being set up to print invitations in gold lettering, is very interesting. Felicity Jones is Dolly Thatcham, and it is her wedding day. She is marrying a very nice man. But Luke Treadaway as Joseph Patten shows up as a guest, and this has an upsetting effect on Dolly. It seems she doesn't want to come out of her room, and she "relaxes" by drinking rum from the bottle. Seemingly too much rum.All of this is mysterious to us, the audience, but reasons are slowly revealed. They use the technique of parallel flashbacks, we see one or the other in a present (1932) scene, then in a somewhat older scene. They keep them obvious by using a slight blue cast for the present scenes and a slight yellow cast for the flashback scenes.We slowly find that the issue is the love affair Dolly and Joseph had, when he decided he needed to travel abroad for an extended period. A young British woman in the 1930s could not wait too long, and she found a new man, and now she was marrying him.So it is basically a story of love lost and moving on with one's life.Elizabeth McGovern is Mrs. Thatcham , Dolly's mother, with her best fake British accent. I've always liked McGovern, but it seems a curious choice, given that it is not a major role and there are so many fine British actresses.
rachelfall
I really enjoyed this movie. I hadn't heard of it until I came across it on demand tonight. Anything with "wedding" in the title catches my eye. The movie takes place on Dolly's wedding day in winter. She is torn between her fiancé of 2 months, and her friend turned lover that she spent an exciting summer with. Dolly spends the first half of the movie in her bedroom getting ready, where many different characters visit her and you learn about her relationship with each of them. From quirky family members, an opinionated mother, to funny cousins and a loving sister they all fit together well.I loved all the characters and how they developed through others conversations. My favorite part was the flashbacks of the summer that Dolly and Joseph shared together, it was so innocent and light. Kitty (Dolly's sister)supported all the characters and she lightened the more serious conversations.I thought the character development was strong, and there was a balance of strange, goofy and entertaining family members. Even though you only learn a little about each wedding guest and couple, you get a sense how each relationship is different.I absolutely loved the setting (the entire movie takes place at Dolly's home) and of course the wardrobe of the 1930's. Dolly's wedding dress was stunning.I highly recommend this movie.
jr-brooker-382-962353
A carefully crafted film which is at once a celebration of English eccentricity and an understated examination of how families often do everything they can to avoid saying how they really feel. Felicity Jones and Luke Treadaway play the lead protagonists brilliantly, but the scene stealer throughout is the wonderful Ellie Kendrick as the younger sister Kitty. Her naivety often reveals so much about what everyone else is really thinking but just can't bring themselves to say. And perhaps the symbolism will be lost on some, but without giving anything away tortoises and a small boy's little bombs mark the path of this film with great effect.
AD
