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Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Director: Jonathan Demme

Time Out rating

Average user rating

19 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

The defection of scrappy young indie turk Demme to the Hollywood mainstream disappointed many: it’s a long downhill march from the wise and unpredictable ‘Something Wild’ to the cautious tedium of ‘Philadelphia’. But after a half-decade honing his skills as a documentarian, the director is back where he belongs with a freewheeling, fiercely independent comedy drama.

Anne Hathaway is smartly cast as Kym, the straight-talking black sheep on furlough from rehab to attend her sister’s wedding. The first half is structured as a series of blazing rows, as one by one the family members lose their patience and lash out at the thoughtless Kym. The second half – the big day itself – shows these old wounds healing, as forgiveness overcomes rancour.

Jenny Lumet’s script is well constructed and unflinching in its depiction of family trauma, but it’s Demme’s approach that sets the film apart. Improvising much of the dialogue and all the camera moves, he creates a loose, strikingly intimate sense of captured reality that forces the audience into the action. Even the music is exclusively diegetic, with old lags like Robyn Hitchcock and Sister Carol East providing a wildly diverse soundtrack to the celebrations.

‘Rachel Getting Married’ is not for everyone: it’s overlong, unfocused and as smugly middle class as an episode of ‘My Family’. But those who surrender to Demme’s disarming, almost participatory technique will find themselves overwhelmed, exhilarated and inspired by the eternal possibilities of cinema.

Author: Tom Huddleston 2009-01-20 12:00:29

Time Out London Issue 2005, 22-28 Jan. 2009

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User reviews of this film

Alex said...

Posted on Jan 13 2009 20:10 Not even seen the film but hasn't Sandra Bullock already starred in this when she gets sent to Rehab after her sister's wedding?

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Frank Taylor said...

Posted on Jan 02 2009 03:27 I don't usually write reviews because I think taste in movies is a personal thing. I felt compelled to write this after seeing Rachel Getting Married. The hand held camera thing was the least that was wrong with this movie. I have nothing good to say about it. I can deal with dysfunctional if it is interesting dysfunction. This was just boring. There was no plot or character development. It was like watching home movies. It was disjointed and made no sense. I usually can find something good in anything. The good thing in this movie was that I saw it on January 1 so everything I see from here on this year has to be better.

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Dennis widman said...

Posted on Nov 30 2008 19:29 Warning: My wife and I were both looking forward to seeing Rachel Getting Married. Unfortunately, the hand held camera was so severe we both had to leave the theatre after only 15 minutes. We were both dizzy and with upset stomachs. If you are not bothered by hand held cameras, then this may be worth seeing, don't know. But if you like us, can't tolerate hand held cameras take a pass.

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Dennis widman said...

Posted on Nov 30 2008 19:29 Warning: My wife and I were both looking forward to seeing Rachel Getting Married. Unfortunately, the hand held camera was so severe we both had to leave the theatre after only 15 minutes. We were both dizzy and with upset stomachs. If you are not bothered by hand held cameras, then this may be worth seeing, don't know. But if you like us, can't tolerate hand held cameras take a pass.

Report as inappropriate