Movies-TV

A Gem

14 years after its release, I watched 'Four Weddings' again on DVD. Perhaps it's a sign of a bona fide classic that on repeated viewings the film - like a vintage wine - improves with age. The Richard Curtis script has not been diminished by numerous knock offs. It's a warm, tender entertainment totally lacking in cynicism.The opening scene sets the original tone. Charles (Hugh Grant), a 30-something Londoner and his semi-punk flat mate Scarlett (Charlotte Coleman) are late for a wedding. The first twenty words or so of the film are 'f**k' or variations on the word 'f**k' delivered as an expression of exasperation every time something delays them. Unless you have only seen the film on US TV - I saw it on American TV in 2001 and the 'f**ks' had been replaced by 'buggars', a quintessentially English swear word never used in the USA and therefore inoffensive to American ears.The title is also a full plot summary. The film follows a group of friends through 4 different weddings and the funeral of one of their number. The other friends - Kristen Scott Thomas, John Hannah, James Fleet, Simon Callow - exist only at these glossy straight from the pages of 'Country Life and 'Tatler' weddings. Charles is the principle character, perpetually embarrassed and in love with a Yuppie American Carrie (Andie McDowell). He looses her, sees her married, then when she splits up with her husband, Charles jilts his bride on their wedding day to be with Carrie. And here is the film's main flaw - Carrie is nether especially sensual or interesting. In fact, she's rather flat (imagine what Tracy Ullman or Emma Thompson could have done with the role). Charles turns down the attentions of Kristen Scott Thomas and jilts Anna Chancellor at the altar, both of whom are more attractive than McDowell. But this is a fantasy where love is like a bolt of lighting. Director Mike Newell and writer Richard Curtis turn the English social occasions into self-contained vehicles for farce and romance, notably Rowan Atkinson as nervous, tongue tied novice priest, fumbling and fluffing his way through a wedding service. Most moving of all, John Hannah delivering the eulogy at his boyfriend's funeral (the ebullient Simon Callow, dying of a heart attack) - it's a reading of WH Auden's poem blues that is touching without ever being mawkish.A durable format was created with this film and the English Rom-Com born.

A romantic comedy which lacks chemistry.

I had heard so many good things about this film that when I finally saw it, I was surprised to find it so very disappointing. The story revolves a group of people who constantly find themselves at weddings, and yet they themselves never get married. At one wedding Charles (Hugh Grant) is entranced by an American woman, Carrie (Andie MacDowell). Upon finding that they are staying at the same hotel, they end up in bed together. The following day Carrie returns to the States, leaving Charles forlorn and alone. A few months later Carrie turns up at another wedding, announcing that she's engaged to someone else. Nevertheless, she and Charles hop in the sack once more. Carrie then proceeds to marry her fiance, and Charles continues to pine for her, wondering if perhaps he should settle for any ordinary woman rather than wait for the perfect one.

The entire plotline is rather shaky to begin with, though it could have been done well, with some tweaking. But the main problem is that the romance between Charles and Carrie just seems utterly unrealistic. They meet for the first time, barely speak two words to each other before sleeping together, and Carrie promtly leaves the next morning, and yet Charles is madly in love with her. Why? They have nothing in common, know nothing about each other, and have known each other for one day. Carrie's idea of conversation is detailing the bedroom talents of each of her 33 lovers. And she sleeps with one man while engaged to another!

The movie is further dragged down by the fact that there is not a whit of chemistry between Grant and MacDowell. As I watched them, I felt... nothing. Not boredom or disdain, but just a big flat resounding nothing. Grant acted very well, and MacDowell did a passable job with a less-than-ideal role, but the two just don't work together. I know Grant can do a great romantic comedy - I've seen plenty of his other movies - but MacDowell is clearly not a good match.

The rest of the cast was fairly good. In fact, I enjoyed the numerous sideline romances far more than the central one. There are many funny moments (though a couple of the jokes fall horribly flat), and even a couple touching ones, just not between the main characters where they should have been. I liked many of the other characters, and found myself rooting for their romantic success rather than Charles and Carrie's. They actually interact with each other, whereas the relationship between Carrie and Charles seems to be based only on the fact that they've slept together. The movie wasn't an entire waste, and connoisseurs of Hugh Grant should see it, but it's not one I myself would watch again. I'd recommend it as a rental only.

Rich In Story and Characters

The effects of personal want, need, love and desire on the friendships of a circle of eclectic individuals is examined with a spot of humor in the witty, clever and oh-so-British comedy of love, romance and finding that special someone, `Four Weddings and a Funeral,' directed by Mike Newell.
Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell head a delightful ensemble cast in this story of a group of long-time friends, all single, who watch and participate over a period of months as one by one those amongst them step up at last to the altar. Of them all, Charles (Grant) seems the most likely-- and at the same time the least likely-- to be next. Young, handsome and charismatic, Charles has no problem developing a relationship (he's had a number, in fact, as we learn in one particularly hilarious scene), but sustaining one is seemingly beyond his grasp. Until, at the wedding of one of his friends, he meets Carrie (MacDowell), an American, and she quickly enchants him. It is not the end of the story, however; for Charles, Carrie and the audience, it's only-- as they say-- the beginning. Set in contemporary England, one of the aspects of this film that makes it so engaging is the propriety with which the humor is presented.
Refreshingly subtle, there's more of Noel Coward than Tom Green or Rob Schneider to it; a matter of manners, mores and innuendo taking precedence over gross-out, in-your-face, shock schlock humor. And though Grant and MacDowell are at the forefront of the piece, Newell does an excellent job of developing all of the characters, succinctly supplying enough detail to each individual to give the film some depth and dimension, without having to actually go too deep. He never lets you forget that first and foremost, this is a comedy. There's some insight provided, but this is not an in-depth commentary on human nature, though there are some overtones and implications in that direction (Charles is always late to the weddings, for example; perhaps a subconscious denial of the impending nuptials?). Most importantly, the characterizations are rich, and the story is involving and presented with an even flow that allows you to effortlessly be swept away with it. Certain actors make a career out of playing a variation of the same character in film after film, striving for that definitive portrayal. W.C. Fields played the hen-pecked husband in a number of films, finally perfecting that particular character in the person of Harold Bissonette in `It's A Gift.' For Hugh Grant, it's the retiring, somewhat self-conscious and stammering, eyelid fluttering charmer, of which he's done a variation in such films as `Sense and Sensibility,' `The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill, But Came Down A Mountain,' Notting Hill' and `Mickey Blue Eyes.' But Charles is his definitive portrayal of that character, the one in which he achieves the balance and honesty that makes the character so believable.
It's a good bit of work by Grant, and definitely one of his most memorable performances. Andie MacDowell, meanwhile, gives a rather composed performance as Carrie, the quiet American with a reserved bluntness who captivates Charles.
MacDowell brings a sense of quietude to the role that is sensuously seductive, which lends credibility to Charles' infatuation with her. It's a role for which MacDowell is perfectly suited, as it allows her to play effectively to her naturally calm demeanor and exquisite beauty and femininity. In a part that has to be an actor's dream, Simon Callow is absolutely exuberant as Gareth, one of the fixtures of Charles' circle of friends.
More than just an effervescent character, Gareth is something of the conscience of the film, laughing away and laying bare any and all pretense or hypocrisy like a modern day flesh-and-blood Spirit of Christmas Present.
It's a character that gives needed balance and perspective to the film, and he's wonderfully played by Callow. Also turning in especially noteworthy performances are John Hannah as Matthew; Kristin Scott Thomas, who is quite alluring as Fiona; James Fleet as Tom, a character very reminiscent of his Hugo in the TV series `The Vicar of Dibley,' (and very effective here); Charlotte Coleman, memorable in the role of Scarlett; and Rowan Atkinson as the hapless Father Gerald. Rounding out the supporting cast are David Bower (David), Timothy Walker (Angus), Sara Crowe (Laura), Anna Chancellor (Henrietta), Simon Kunz (John), David Haig (Bernard), Sophie Thompson (Lydia Jane) and Corin Redgrave (Hamish). There's enough twists and turns along the way to keep this film unpredictable, including one scene near the end that initially seems so mean-spirited that it may have you biting your fist and crying, `Oh, NO!'
But, not to worry, Newell provides an instant resolution consistent with the rest of the film, and it not only works but gets a good laugh to boot.
Entertaining, pleasant and funny, `Four Weddings and a Funeral' makes for a satisfying, feel-good cinematic experience that just seems so wonderfully civilized amid the seemingly endless rancor abounding in our world today.
It's what's known as the magic of the movies. I rate this one 9/10.

1st Hugh Grant Movie I Ever Saw-He Plays the Role Perfectly!

Excellent comedy with subtle British humor. One of those movies I can watch again and again...never boring...a few bad words here and there but overall a very enjoyable light-hearted movie.

A note to the anti-Andie brigade

I'm blind to the alleged charm of Andie MacDowell myself. That's why I think that casting her in this film was a stroke of genius, for so far as my senses tell me she perfectly fits the character she plays: a dull beauty who casts a spell over one out of every twenty men she meets, leaving the remaining nineteen cold and completely baffled. Charlie (Hugh Grant) is surrounded by MUCH more desirable female friends - even Duckface has something going for her - but instead of so much as noticing them he falls head over heels for an unattainable woman who is, on top of everything else, boring. Would have been as good as it is if Charlie's passion had made SENSE? Of course not.Anyway, everyone I know with a low opinion of this film begins the case for the prosecution with an attack on Andie MacDowell. Is there anything else to dislike? I can't see it myself. This is one of the world's few perfect comedies, devoid of longeurs - perhaps the funeral didn't have quite the desired effect - with true comedy and a nice selection of characters. One has no difficulty keeping the dozen or so members of the main set mentally separate. How many romantic comedies can you say THAT about?

A British Romantic Comedy as Good as Hollywood at its Best

Richard Curtis's films have sometimes been criticised for giving a too cosy, conservative view of British society. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" seems to take place in an England of eternal summer, a land which consists almost entirely of green and pleasant countryside and the more exclusive districts of London and which is populated solely by members of the upper and upper-middle classes. The script does cross the border into an equally idealised Scotland of mists, tartans and Highland flings, but even these scenes were actually shot in Surrey. Such criticism contains an element of truth, but is largely irrelevant when it comes to assessing the merits of the film because it ignores the fact that most romantic comedies (in other media as well as in the cinema) are set against a relatively narrow background in terms of social class, often enabling the writer to satirise the manners of that class. Jane Austin, for example, the most successful writer of romantic comedy in nineteenth-century England, set all her works among the wealthy landed gentry or prosperous bourgeoisie of the day.Most of the action of the film takes place either at, or immediately before or after, one of the four church services mentioned in the title. The main character, Charles, is a well-to-do young man, probably educated at public school, and clearly a member of the professional classes, although we never actually discover what his job is. The film starts with a wedding at which Charles is best man to Angus, one of his old friends, and at which he meets Carrie, an attractive young American woman. The film then traces the ups and downs of the relationship of Charles and Carrie, via two more weddings (the second of which is Carrie's own, after she and Charles have split up), the funeral of Gareth, another friend of Charles who suffers a heart attack while dancing at Carrie's wedding, and one final marriage ceremony.Hugh Grant, as Charles, gives a very good performance. Grant has a relatively narrow range as an actor, but he is capable of some excellent work within that range. There are some subtle differences between Charles and William, the character Grant played in "Notting Hill", another romantic comedy written by Curtis. William is a shy young man who uses ironic, self-deprecating humour as a cover for his shyness and lack of self-confidence. He is very much in love with Anna, that film's heroine, but is afraid to declare his love because he cannot believe that a beautiful and successful film star would take any interest in the owner of a small bookshop. Charles, by contrast, is less shy than William and enjoys more success with women. His humour is also ironic, but for a different reason. He is afraid of his emotions and of commitment and uses irony as a means of distancing himself from life and of avoiding having to commit himself.The film can be seen as the story of Charles's journey to emotional maturity. He has had a number of brief affairs, all of which have petered out precisely because he is afraid of his emotions. His relationship with Carrie initially goes the same way and she marries a richer and older man. The change in Charles's character is partly due to the fact that he sees his carefree bachelor world disappearing as most of his friends get married, but the event which seems to have the greatest effect on him is Gareth's funeral, at which a moving eulogy is read by Matthew, Gareth's gay partner, touchingly played by John Hannah. Charles realises the strength of the love that Gareth and Matthew shared for one another and comes to appreciate that such a relationship is something to be valued.Grant does well to make Charles a sympathetic figure, despite his having many failings quite apart from his ironic distancing of himself from the world. He is clumsy, accident-prone (he manages to lose the ring at Angus's wedding), much given to profane language and can be appallingly tactless, especially about his former girlfriends. The other main character, Carrie, can perhaps be seen as a female Charles, someone who is on the same journey as him but who has travelled slightly further. (It is significant that her name is short for Caroline, the feminine equivalent of the name Charles). She freely admits to having had over thirty previous lovers, but she is the first to want to bring emotional commitment to their relationship. Am I, incidentally, the only one to have liked Andie MacDowell's performance?- she has come in for a lot of criticism, in my view undeserved, on this board.The film is, however, more than simply a study of relationships- it is also very funny with some superb lines. Hugh Grant can be very amusing, and there was a great cameo from Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling, nervous trainee priest who keeps fluffing his lines during one of the weddings. ("Awful wedded wife", or "Holy Goat" for "Holy Ghost"). I also liked David Bower as Charles's deaf brother David, the late Charlotte Coleman as his impudent younger sister Scarlett and Anna Chancellor as his ex-girlfriend Henrietta (also known as Duckface), whose embarrassing emotional incontinence perhaps explains why Charles is so keen to distance himself from his feelings. I was less impressed by Simon Callow as Gareth, loud, extrovert and excessively hearty (like most characters Callow plays).To sum up, this was a very good film indeed; proof that the British cinema can produce romantic comedies as good as Hollywood at its best. 8/10

Could have been a great, except for......

This could have been a great movie for its genre (light, fun romance comedy) if it hadn't been for the horrendous acting of one Andie MacDowell. Am I the only one who sees her as the wooden, boring actor that she is? Whenever she speaks I cringe, her lines are delivered so awkwardly. Hugh Grant can only carry their scenes together for so long. Otherwise, this was a very funny movie. Hugh Grant's character and his friends were great as eccentric single Brits who are always invited to weddings. I especially enjoyed the scene where Hugh Grant (who I don't usually like much as an actor) finds his pencil. A good, fun movie to see one night if you're not looking for anything that makes you think too much.....as long as you ignore Andie MacDowell.....

One of the best movies of all time

This movie is about as close as one can get to a perfect film. The plot strikes the right balance between comedy and drama, and the acting is excellent. The film has so many solid British actors. John Hannah is one of my favorites. In addition, many of the actors for supporting-supporting-characters are still seen quite frequently in film and television. My one problem with the movie is that last bit of dialog, something along the lines of, "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed." Gah, terrible! I wish something had been done about that. Overall, I think this is a better film than both Love Actually and Notting Hill, though Love Actually was quite good. Four Weddings and a Funeral is a classic that stands up to many viewings. Highly recommended!

Amusing British comedy

I enjoy this film because the British humor can be so funny and weird sometimes. Hugh Grant annoys me to some degree because of the whole eye-lash-batting and stuttering thing, but otherwise he's pretty good. There is one line at the end about the rain--if you see it, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about--it is so fake. However, the other members of the little gang are terrific--Scarlet, the two gay men, Kristin Scott Thomas, Bernard, Lydia, the deaf brother--they're all really funny. They make the movie really worth watching.

OK when a comedy, atrocious as a romantic drama...

1st watched 12/23/2006 - 4 out of 10(Dir-Mike Newell): OK when a comedy, atrocious as a romantic drama. Hugh Grant is fine as the reluctant bachelor who attends many of his friends and relatives weddings without ever having his own and not really expecting it, in fact. He falls for an American at the first wedding he attends, played horribly by Andie Macdowell, and hopes this might be more than just a one night fling, but at the second wedding she comes with her fiancée. Of course, that doesn't stop them from having a second encounter. What happens to them after this you'll have to watch for yourself(I don't want to give away everything). The movie is promising at first as a comedy with some laugh-out loud funny scenes during the first wedding, but by the time the 2nd wedding comes it slowly turns into a romantic melodrama that I couldn't wait to be over because I could guess what would happen every step of the way. Too sad because it could have been a very good British comedy but ended up being a mediocre romantic drama at best.

Terrible

I cannot believe that this movie has a user rating of 7.2 It was one of the worst movies I have ever seen, filled with bland characters, crude humor, and offensive language. Even Notting Hill was not this bad ( and it certainly wasn't GOOD). Skip this unless you want something to fall asleep to.

Enduring Friendship. Pure, simple and very funny

Four Wedding and a Funeral is a fabulous movie even if you hate weddings, funerals or love stories. The film is about friendship, something we can all relate to with fondness. The movie follows seven friends as they experience love and loss, rejection and resolve. But, instead of a British pub, the setting is an English church or a Scottish castle. The film reminds us of the value of having supporting people in our lives. The joy, sadness and general awkwardness each character endures is magnified by these good friends being together through it all. Four Weddings and A Funeral makes us yearn for such relationships in our own lives as we laugh with our new friends on screen.Charles is the ring leader of this band of serial wedding guests. He is always going to weddings but fearful of any sort of commitment. With a charming smile and debonair wit, he can enchant women but has no intention of settling down. He is in awe of those who commit to marriage but freely admits that he could never take such a dramatic step.Until he meets Carrie. Carrie is an American who is experienced in love. She is care-free. And she is intoxicating. Charles is drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. It is certainly love at first sight. Unfortunately, opportunities to meet are few and far between. The few social settings alluded by the title are their only chance for interaction. After meeting at the first wedding, Carrie attends the second engaged. Will Charles' first true love be unattainable?For some reason, Hugh Grant's bumbling English charm rubs a large portion of movie goers the wrong way. His acting can be one dimensional. Grant's characters contain many of the same quirks and mannerisms regardless of the film. Call it being type cast, pigeon holed, what have you. At times, it is hard to argue with this reputation.But some of his films are far better than others. Four Weddings and A Funeral and Notting Hill are among his finest films. Is his character any different? Not really. But his surrounding cast is. Grant's greatest films surround his clumsy act with a colorful array of supporting characters. With their own distinct idiosyncrasies, Grant's cast makes his faults less demonstrative, less outrageous and part of a delightful hodge-podge of screen chemistry. Alone Hugh Grant cannot carry a movie. But as part of the whole, his persona can play against four or five equally engaging characters with magnificent results.Four Weddings and A Funeral works because the camaraderie displayed by the seven friends seems absolutely genuine. Screen chemistry is often used as a buzz word for any successful character driven film. But more than others, Four Weddings and A Funeral relies on this chemistry as the basis for the entire film. The audience must believe that these characters truly enjoy each other's company. It takes more than simply great acting. Script and direction must also accentuate the theme of friendship. The bond shared by the characters must permeate every aspect of the film. Four Weddings and A Funeral succeeds brilliantly. The audience is seamlessly drawn into the friends' inner circle. It happens so fast that it seems an effortless process. Before the first reception is over, we have a perfect understanding of each of the seven friends. Each is unique and compelling. The same appeal that has drawn them to each other draws them to us. As an American outsider and the object of Charles' affection, Carrie becomes a threat to the group. A group of which we have quickly become a part. We all long for substantial relationships in our lives. Whether romantic or platonic, dependable relationships make life wonderful or bearable. The good times become great; the bad times are a little bit easier to handle. Four Weddings and A Funeral is more than a romantic comedy. Too many romantic comedies involve a boy, a girl and little else. Four Weddings and A Funeral gives us a group of friends who are looking for love. We join their struggle, celebrate their triumphs and share their pain. Four Weddings and A Funeral draws us in as few films can.

Great movie, bad dvd transfer

As a movie I will rate it 4 stars, but the video quality is very bad, lot of artifacts, blury images, MGM transfer is really a big disappointment.

Picture-Perfect Romantic Comedy

A wonderful movie to watch with someone you love (or could see yourself loving somewhere down the line). The question of commitment rears its ugly head over and over, and makes it appear Charles (Hugh Grant) is unable to do so. In fact, the film seems to make the case he's been biding his time waiting for the thunderbolt to hit from out of the blue; when it finally does (in the person of Andie MacDowell), it misfires a few times.

The film is enhanced by not being teddibly British (but suffers from not showing enough of Britain -- it might as well have been filmed in Toronto for all we saw of the countryside and Scotland). The supporting cast is marvelous, with Kristin Scott-Thomas and John Hannah moving on to bigger and better things. Andie MacDowell has been unfairly described as the weak link, but her character is rather ill-defined and flighty to begin with, and she didn't write the awful "Is it raining? I hadn't noticed" eye-roller at the end. Friends have told me other actresses could have been much better in the role; I highly doubt it.

Definitely worth grabbing on video. The DVD holds no significant extras -- kind of a disappointment, since the screenplay book shows many deleted scenes and rejected TV spot scripts -- *some* of them must have been filmed.

Loved the humor, loved the pathos, hated the romance

By far the lamest thing in this light, fun romantic comedy was the romance. I loved the rapport between the set of friends; their knowledge of each other and constant bickering/teasing was entirely believable. Rowan Atkinson has a hilarious scene as a neophyte minister. Simon Callow is good in everything he does, and he's excellent here, as is most of the cast. The weakest link is Andie MacDowell; she's pretty, but she's not nearly as talented as the rest of the actors, and boy, does it show. In a movie where quirkiness rules, pretty just doesn't cut it.

Dull!

This movie had a few cute lines in the beginning, but than it dragged. This movie was not worth it.

Witty Romance, Weak DVD

This film starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell was quite a popular hit when released in theatres and was nominated for Oscars. The characters are well developed and the supporting cast is terrific. There are many great one-liners and the accompanying music is enjoyable. I consider this movie one of the best romantic comedies of the 90s. However, MGM has only occassionally produced outstanding DVDs. Unfortunately, this DVD has some artifacts, pixelation, and bare bones content. I was disappointed in the visual and sound quality for a film made so recently (within the last ten years). I would recommend this DVD only if you are a big fan of this film or don't demand quality and rich content in your DVDs.

Charming, Funny & Sad

This utterly charming, little British film took me completely by surprise the first time I saw it. I did not know what to expect going in, but I quickly found myself falling completely in love with it.

The plot is structured around the five events mentioned in the title. A magnificent group of seven dear friends attends a string of weddings, none of them, unfortunately, involving any of the principles. Our focus is on Charles (Hugh Grant), a devilishly handsome man who is completely incapable of committing to marriage. He is, as an ex-girlfriend describes him, a "serial monogamist."

There is some hope, however, that that might change when Charles meets Carrie (Andie MacDowell), a beautiful American woman. He falls in love with her, and we suspect she might love him, too, but instead she gets engaged to Hamish (Corin Redgrave), a boring, but rich man, twice her age. Our hearts break along with Charles' because we know that she is making a mistake. He is too disappointed, though, and too afraid to do anything about it.

There is something so pleasing about friendship in a movie. When it is done right, as it is here, it involves the audience in a way that most stories cannot. While watching this film, I could not help but wish that I knew them all better. Who wouldn't want a group of such trusted and wonderful friends? Because we like them, and because we feel we know them so well, the events in the film aren't just happening to somebody else. They are happening to us as well. That is why "Four Weddings" is so touching and so moving.

The acting is nothing short of brilliant, especially the work done by Hugh Grant. Not since Cary Grant has an actor displayed such suave, British charm and natural good looks. He is a delight to watch and, no doubt, has an excellent future ahead for himself. Andie MacDowell is equally enchanting. She has never appeared as lovely in a movie before as she does here.

The screenplay by Richard Curtis is extremely well written. The scenes have the ring of truth to them; the characters feel as real as anyone we know. The writing always hits just the right note, striking a delicate balance between moments of great humor and romance, as well as deep sadness.

Mike Newell's direction is fine, never distracting us the center of the film: the characters and their words. At the same time, there are moments of inspired visual artistry. The sight of Charles arriving late for Carrie's wedding, standing alone in a broad, Scottish moor, is touchingly sad. Even better is the funeral chapel, stranded in a bleak, industrial wasteland, overlooking the dull, gray Thames. It is a very evocative and poignant moment.

I do not want to give the impression that this is a sad film because it is not. At times it is rather hilarious, the romance is always enticing, and it does have a happy, if unexpected, ending. More importantly, all of its emotions are genuinely earned. "Four Weddings and a Funeral" is one of the most delightful films I have seen in a long time.

Excellent film with many great British actors!

I think this film is so watchable, it had me in stitches and introduced the talent of Emma Thompson's younger sister Sophie as Lydia, of whom I am now a big fan! How funny was the scene with Bernard at her reception?! Poor Charles!I did think Andie Macdowell was a bit wooden and didn't quite fit in with the rest, but the group of friends were all cast so well, Simon Callow is a superb British actor and made me howl with laughter at the first wedding especially!Hugh Grant is fantastic throughout and makes the film for me, all in all, a film I feel I can watch over and over again!

For The Romantic In All Of Us

"Four Weddings and a Funeral" is one of the few romantic comedies I appreciate. It's a lovable, hilarious look at the wackiness of love and weddings. Andie MacDowell and Hugh Grant are fine leads, though MacDowell's character is written rather weakly. There really isn't much for her to do, except perform the duties of "unrequited love interest". The other characters are very vivid, though. Hugh Grant truly shines in the role of his career as bumbling bachelor Charles, whose main characteristics consist of being late to weddings, stumbling over words, and fear of commitment to one woman. Grant is romantic and sympathetic without being coy, and I found myself falling in love along with Andie MacDowell! But the best part of the film is the supporting cast. I think it is responsible for the film's status as a comedy classic. Charlotte Coleman is perfect as fiery Scarlett, David Bower is hilarious as David, a bumbling bachelor like Charles, but lacking his suave charm, and Simon Callow is fondly memorable as flamboyant Gareth, perhaps the funniest of them all. My favorite performance, however, is that of Kristin Scott Thomas. As the icy, longing Fiona, she's an understated revelation. Director Mike Newell has called her performance the best of the film, and I agree. Scott Thomas is a great ensemble player (see "Gosford Park"), and here's hoping she lands another comedy soon.

There is a pitiful lack of special features on this DVD, but at half the price of most, it's still worth owning. A movie this fun doesn't need lots of extras to justify its purchase.