Margot At The Wedding

2/5 If you are expecting yet another hilarious American wedding comedy á la My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Wedding Singer, you will be disappointed. Margot at the Wedding, written and directed by Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) has nothing to do with two happy people declaring their love at the altar. The various lovers in this film are middle-aged, miserable and take anti-depressants to make it through somehow. Margot (Nicole Kidman) is a successful writer from New York and her marriage is crumbling. Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh), her free-spirited sister, is about to wed an unemployed artist Malcom (Jack Black) – the best example of a pathetic loser. Margot immediately disapproves of her sister’s choice, starts undermining their relationship and herself starts an affair with a neighbour. Margot’s son Claude (Zane Pais) is surprisingly mature for his age and by far the most interesting character. In the end he turns out to be the most stable and reasonable of all the adults with their failed lives. He influences Margot to make a decision, which comes as a great surprise. Actually, there is no plot. The film is a sequence of scenes, in which different episodes reveal yet another aspect of the dysfunctional relations the family suffers from. There is something for everyone: adultery, rivalry between siblings, fights between puberty stricken boys, random horror-style killing of animals and a hint of paedophilia.The technical set-up of the film gives you the feeling of intruding on each character’s personal problems. The make up is minimalist; hand-held camera and natural lighting make you believe you are an immediate bystander. It really is painful to watch this family interact.But most of all, throughout the film, you will keep wondering: what is Nicole Kidman, easily the most glamorous actress of our times, doing in this low budget, painful film where in the end there is not even a wedding? Now I’ve ruined it for you. By Marina Zarubin