Ever go to a wedding and sit at a table where you know no one? It’s uncomfortable and so is this film. It has a great cast who play quirky characters. They’re all invited to a wedding, not because the bride and groom want them there, but because they have some connection to the happy couple.
You learn what those connections are a little at a time as each reveals their story.
Jeffrey Blitz (The Office, Spellbound) directs this film co-written with Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass. We are big fans of the Duplass brothers, but this is not one of their finest works.
Anna Kendrick plays Eloise. She is the ex-Maid of Honor who was not going to go because she was dumped via text by the Bride’s brother 2 months ago. June Squibb is Jo, the former Nanny who is the funniest of the bunch and very straight forward with her questions. She is outlandish in her dress and behavior. She even smokes pot with her table mates at one point.
Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson are Bina and Jerry, husband and wife who own a diner in Ohio. They hate each other and never pass up a chance to make it known. One of the funnier moments is when Jerry asks his wife to stand up at just the right moment to show that she is dressed exactly like the waiter serving her. Sign her up!
Stephen Merchant (the Office) is the ex-con just out of prison for bilking his uncle, the Father of the Bride, out of tons of money as his accountant. He’s very strange.
Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel) is Renzo, the high schooler who is looking to hook up with anyone he can. His hormones are in high gear.
All the trappings are there, the band, the cake, (while it lasts), the relatives getting drunk giving toasts, the Bride and Groom, and welcoming the table of misfits at the back of the room as if they cared. There are fights, even food fights in and outside the ballroom.
And there are plenty of confessions including one that leads to an awkward reconciliation. The cast makes a valiant effort to make this film work, but it’s more like a soap opera than a comedy. Yes, there is a happy ending of sorts. But this film is sadly contrived with a few situations you might have seen or been part of at a wedding you attended. This just isn’t one we’d recommend replying “yes” to attend.
Fox Searchlight Pictures 1 hour 27 minutes PG-13
