Film

If a film is neither romantic nor funny, can it still be referred to as a romcom? ‘The Decoy Bride’ has all the trappings of the genre – likeable leads, spectacular locations, a soundtrack so cutesy it would make Richard Curtis blush – but the absence of any onscreen chemistry or a memorable joke makes for a wholly unsatisfying experience.

Kelly Macdonald plays Katie, a loveless Hebridean islander tapped to act as a paparazzi-distracting patsy at the wedding of Hollywood star Lara (Alice Eve) and successful novelist James (David Tennant). Following a series of unconvincing mishaps, Katie and James are thrown together – and the inevitable happens.

It’d be unfair to describe ‘The Decoy Bride’ as actively bad, it’s simply forgettable: of the central cast, only Macdonald seems suited to the role, with Tennant in particular looking deeply uncomfortable as the raffish hack who reveals hidden depths. Together they’re a disaster, going through the meet-cute motions without an ounce of warmth or affinity. The result is less a film, more a bland Britcom box-ticking exercise.