Rachel Getting Married has a terrific pedigree: directed by Jonathan Demme and starring a really talented cast (including tour de force performances by Anne Hathaway as Kym, and Rosemary DeWitt as Rachel) the film is shot in the raw style of a documentary that lends itself to intense intimacy while still following a central narrative.
Released for the weekend from a substance rehabilitation facility to attend her sister Rachel's wedding, Kym finds reconnecting with her family more than a challenge. After suffering a traumatic event several years earlier, the family lives a dysfunctional existence while pretending otherwise. Scratch through that surface of normalcy, however, and the problems are more than evident. Kym, with her substance abuse and selfish perspective, does a whole lot of scratching.
Rachel Getting Married has all the elements of a great movie, the sort of movie I'd typically enjoy. The acting is surprisingly great, especially the work of Anne Hathaway. (Debra Winger, in a small role as Kym and Rachel's mother, is terrific, too). The story is intense, and the manner in which it is told is inventive.
But, I hated this movie.
It just felt too real. Watching the movie was difficult, because it felt as if I was peering in the windows of my next-door neighbor. While I like intimacy and realism in movies, Rachel Getting Married may be an example of too real, too much.
At least for me.
3 comments:
Dude, I applaud you for watching some of these movies that, although I know they are GOOD movies, I just don't want to see.
While you were watching "Rachel getting married" I watched "Max Payne".
That's one reason I do it, my friend. So you don't have to!
I really did want to see this, because I'd heard so much about Hathaway's performance. And it was brilliant. Just...too real for me.
I totally agree with the "realness" of this movie, though that's a reason I really liked it. Especially for a movie set around a wedding, which can so often fall into romantic comedy cliches.
But it was definitely uncomfortable to watch in places, and not every character is very likable.
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