Margot at the Wedding

Writer/Dir: Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Kicking and Screaming)
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black, Zane Pais, Ciarán Hinds, John Turturro, Halley Feiffer
USA, 2007

Seen: November 29/07 at Cumberland

Reason to see: I really enjoyed The Squid and the Whale, and the preview intrigued me. It's also my weekly film for See 1 film a week in the theatre for a year, this is week 49/52.

What drew me to seeing Margot at the Wedding was the preview. It showed what appeared to be a non traditional yet supportive family who were all quirky in their own ways. It also showed the two leads, Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh in very 'regular person' light. When I found out it was directed by Noah Baubach who gave us The Squid and the Whale, I was convinced to get out there and see it. Although all the majority of the previous statements are true of the film, every new element it showed made the characters less likeable and less interesting. There was no one to root for, and that is something that always blows out the pilot light of interest for me. There was some strong dialogue throughout the film, but it was not as strong as The Squid and the Whale and the majority of the powerful moments were shown in the preview.

Shannon's Overall View:
I was disappointed
I'd try watching it again
I'd recommend it to those who enjoy dramatic films about miserable people

roughly 10 minutes of preshow including 10 commercials, and previews : The Diving Bell & the Butterfly, The Kite Runner, There Will Be Blood, Poor Boy's Game and Atonement

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© Shannon Ridler, 2007