DVDpendence . videophile
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CEREMONY
With Uma Thurman, Michael Angarano, Reece Thompson, Lee Pace, Brooke Bloom
Written & Directed by Max Winkler
Some viewers cannot go a year without at least a few wedding movies. The rest of us hate them. Even though this is one with a bit of a difference, it didn't succeed in hooking me.
Sam, an aspiring author scams his buddy into a holiday road trip, only to crash the wedding of Zoe, an older ex with whom he had a brief affair. They end up as guests in the house of her pretentious fiancé who is a bit of a prat.
While there are some interesting peripheral characters like Zoe's brother, Thurman's performance as the female lead feels stiff and unconvincing, which is disappointing, while Angarano throws himself into his quirky and childish character of Sam.
Far be it from me to judge Thurman's chocie of acting style, it does seem of late as though she's not really into it...
With some humorous moments, Ceremony is not exactly a comedy, and while it is the central occasion, the event of the title is not the focus, rather the lost souls hovering around it. Dealing with serious (and childish) emotions, it's not quite a drama either, while the romantic elements are not enough to throw it fully into that category.
An odd little movie that just about makes it, but ultimately does not satisfy as the script makes it very hard to identify with or like any of the characters.
2 / C
- Paul Blom
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