What I expected was a cross between My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Moulin Rouge. A musical about the crazy mixed up world of a woman about to take the plunge and live out the fantasy ceremony that all girls dream of from the day the come screaming out of the chute but this movie is not what I expected. There is music by ABBA but it is not a musical. Not even slightly. I expected it to be a sappy tribute to the ritual of marriage. One where we see the happy couple comes rushing out of the church showered in rice and beaming in joy. It is not sappy, at least not like that. I expected there to be a roster of family members who may be exasperating and annoying but at the end of the day are well meaning and loveable. There is a large family depicted but they are far from adorable. What this movie is about is a somewhat melancholy look at a woman desperately trying to prove to herself and others that she has some value. The humor in it is more of the "grit your teeth and wince" variety that comes from putting characters into uncomfortable situations and then letting them twist in the wind than the "snort coca-cola out your nose while you choke" type. I found the movie to be touching, sad, depressing and hopeful by turns. That it could move me in different ways says something good about the writing and acting. "A hilarious comedy about friends, fun, and unexpected surprises!" as the tag line proclaims? Hell no. "A good way to spend an hour and a half and convince your wife your not above watching a chick flick?" Hell yes.
Netflix Status: Currently Streaming
This is a movie, like Fargo which came out around the same time, that was marketed in a way that gave you the impression it was a ripsnorting comedy. But both are sad, melancholy dramas, that are quite good, but you need to go in with the right expectation.