Happy Ever Afters

Irish comedies are getting a bad name. First there was the limp Viagra caper ‘Holy Water’ and now there’s this no-laugher about two Dublin weddings sharing a venue. Maura (Sally Hawkins) is a single mother marrying immigrant Wilson (Ariyon Bakare) for the cash, while nice-guy Freddie (Tom Riley) is giving marriage another shot by remarrying Sophie (Jade Yourell). Of course, everything goes slapstick at the reception. It’s not long before Sophie is suspecting Freddie of canoodling with Maura and two immigration officials are closing in on Wilson. Booze flows, punches fly, shapes are thrown… and the film drags on, each twist and turn so reckless and uninspired that it feels like we’re making the whole thing up by watching it. Hawkins is a great actress; who knows how she ended up in this mess?