RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (2008)

directed by Jonathon Demme

Indie films don't get much better than this. And it's almost entirely due to a tremendous script by Jenny Lumet and tremendous acting ensemble (Anne Hathaway, Rosemary Dewitt, Bill Irwin, and Debra Winger being the highlights). To me, when one actor shines, I give them the credit; when all the actors shine, I credit the writing and directing.

Jonathon Demme hasn't worked much with actors lately. He apparently doesn't like them. With their often preening egos, I can't imagine why... However, this is an indie film, and with indies, the actors are in it for the art and not the money. Demme, almost by default, gets far more control out of them than he would were this a big-budget Hollywood production. And it shows.

I'm not usually one for indie films. While I appreciate the opportunities they present to people to work for the sake of art and not for the sake of mullah, they often tend to have sub-par acting, prententious scripts, and self-important (nonexistent) themes. It's nice when established professionals take a step back and do something they just purely enjoy doing.

Should I mention much of the plot? I hate doing that. Kim (Anne Hathaway), is out of rehab just in time for her sister Rachel's (Rosemary DeWitt) wedding. Shit-timing, to be honest, as Kim has a lot of open wounds that need to be tended and has come to face the awkward stare of a preoccupied family who have had a long history of dealing with her and just don't have the time or the desire. They love her, and you can see this, but good god, there's a wedding going on! Upon the arrival of Kim and Rachel's absent mother (Debra Winger), some past haunts plague the group and threaten to sever their already tenuous relationships.

Lumet has these characters figured out completely. Even when they respond irrationally (and they do, quite often), they remain true to themselves and don't service the plot. She doesn't wade into melodrama for the sake of melodrama (see: Slumdog Millionaire, which is so popular for the exact reason it's so not great), and beyond a desperately contrived and somewhat unnecessary scene involving an old party favor hidden in a stack of dishes (have they not used those dishes in five years time? Really? I mean, really?), there's not a moment of this movie that doesn't feel completely real and not an ounce of that seems overwrought.

On a minor note, would it have been a huge disgrace if they'd thrown in a couple more bucks for a steady-cam?

8.27/10