As the story begins, Kym (Anne Hathaway) has just been released from rehab in order to attend her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie Dewitt) wedding. Her father (Bill Irwin) picks her up from the facility and brings her home where she is to attempt to reintegrate with the rest of the extended family as well as the new in-laws. This does not prove to be an easy task as Kym tends towards the self-centered and while she may be clean (9-months sober), her personality traits have not tempered along the same path. It is not long before she is having a blow up with Rachel over Rachel's choice of her best friend, Emma (Anisa George), as Maid of Honor.
Kym's story with her drug addiction, and other related tragedies, is immensely involving. We watch her love/hate relationship with her sister, her father's constant hovering, not to mention her issues with her mother, which build to an explosive confrontation. It is an involving thread and the one that dominates the piece.
What is fascinating about Rachel Getting Married is the way the script, by Jenny Lumet, develops. It introduces elements only to let them fade away. Scenes are allowed to linger well past the point where they lose focus of the main thread. It is a film that in many ways is an accurate reflection of reality. The narrative is not what the film is about, it is more about the characters and that sense of reality. Yes, there are a couple of big, operatic moments, but they never take off beyond the realm of possibility, not overdone to the point of disbelief. Resolutions are few and far between, answers will not be found here, although there are interesting seeds planted for the audience to make up their own futures for these characters.
The greatest element of this film is Anne Hathaway. Rachel Getting Married is an absolute eye opener with regards to her talent. For years she was entrenched in the Disney princess type roles, but has begun expanding into more adult performances. Watching her as Kym is akin to watching her mature in front of your eyes. Her presence is magnetic, she electrifies the screen as this sober drug addict attempting to make right without ever being able to forgive herself. It is a powerful performance that needs to be seen.
Bottomline. An excellent character piece tempered by dull "reality" moments. Jonathan Demme's film succeeds in spite of its flaws and proves to be a trip well worth taking.
Recommended.
0 comments:
Post a Comment