When I browse my Video Ezy, there are a lot of films I notice that no one else seems to. I'm not talking about direct to DVD movies, but actual movies that were released in cinemas (not in Australia, but other places... mainly England) that people have just disappeared or people have forgotten. And unfortunately, they are usually just left to gather dust on a shelf somewhere. Until I find them and watch them. I have no life. So, anyway, I figured that since I have no real idea what this blog is meant to be, why not have a look at these movies? And, if you didn't guess from the title, I will be finding out whether or not they really are mediocre or not (spoiler, most of them aren't). So, why am I starting with this little Scottish film? Well, mainly because it was the one I saw most recently. Not much other than that.
(This is a very complicated plot, so I'm just going to copy the plot description from Wikipedia.) Lara Tyler (Alice Eve) is one of the most famous film stars around, but all she wants to do is marry her fiance, writer James Arber (David Tennant). Besieged by paparazzi, especially Marco Ballani (Federico Castelluccio), who is obsessed with Lara, they escape to the tiny Scottish island of Hegg to try to wed in peace. However, when the paparazzi track them down, and with the locals smelling a payday, Lara becomes upset and runs away. In desperation her management team, led by Steve Korbitz (Michael Urie), decide to stage a fake wedding, hoping the paparazzi will fall for the scam and leave the island. Local girl Katie (Kelly Macdonald), who is nursing a broken heart, is recruited to pretend to be Lara. And that's not even half of the stuff that you need to know, but I'll get to that later.
Firstly, allow me to squee for a little while because this film is adorable! If you're a Doctor Who fan, then I already know that you're going to see this, but let it be known that Tennant is not the star of this film. Kelly MacDonald (who may know most recently from Boardwalk Empire) steals this show with her awkward performance as Katie, a woman who returns to her home single and depressed, with everyone on the island pressuring her to get married. Which she does, albeit accidentally. The best part about this film are the scenes between Arber and Katie, with banter passing between them that eventually becomes more and more personal as they both become closer to each other. Both actors are excellent and the chemistry between them is genuine and just so cute!
But what about the other characters? Well, let's look at the other woman, Lara. What I really like about this character is that they don't make her unlikeable. She doesn't have as much screen-time as the leads, and therefore doesn't have as much characterisation, but what we do have is a woman who merely wants to be married without the prying eyes of the press watching her. By the end, you do feel sorry for her, but she could have benefitted slightly from more characterisation. As could the photographer Marco Ballani, who disappears during the second half of the movie. But one character that does stand out is Iseabail Nic Aodh, Katie's mother played by Maureen Beattie, who is dying and is in a wheelchair. But she's not a pitiful character. Instead, we get a character who just wants to life the rest of her life with as much adventure as she can before being thrown into a volcano. Not even kidding, that's what she wants.
So, what else is there to this movie? I'll be honest, not much. There aren't any great discoveries, no big philosophical questions that need to be answered, instead it's just a sweet love story about two people who find a connection together. Though the scenery is pretty spectacular, even if it is very overcast. But is it mediocre? No, it's different enough that it stands out from other romantic comedies, the acting is better than most, with excellent comic timing from everyone. The story is predictable, but like I said, it's a romantic comedy. It was going to be predictable. But above all, you actually want the two leads to get together, which is always a bonus in a romantic film. Dylan Moran, Sally Phillips (who also co-wrote the screenplay) and James Fleet also pop up in minor roles, but the most exciting member of the supporting cast for me was Hamish Clark, who I have been dying to see since Monarch of the Glen.
Would I recommend this? Most definitely! If you're a Tennant fan, he's very charming. If you're a comedy fan, then this is very sweet and funny. If I've somehow sparked your curiousity (and I doubt I have) then you should check this out. The more people who see it, the better. This is one of the ones where, even though it's a silly little film, you can clearly see it was made with love. Those are always the best, no matter how convoluted they may be. And even then, this isn't that convoluted. So, next time, when I have money, it may actually be a new film. Or another one of these. We'll see how it goes. Until next time, readers.
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