Rachel Getting Married

Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Directed By: Jonathon Demme
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger, Bill Irwin

Well as stated in my previous post it has been tough getting the time to watch movies lately, but the fact that a Red Box just opened in the local grocery store will hopefully help things out.

Acting: (9.5) It is funny how quickly someone can become a favorite. All it took was The Devil Wears Prada and Anne Hathaway jumped to the top of my list of favorite actresses, and this performance gives credence to that view. The movie truly shines through the acting displayed by the entire cast. This is probably one of the best ensemble performances I have ever seen. Everyone for the most part nails their parts and as a whole it doesn't get much better. My favorite aside from Anne was actually Mather Zickel, who I thought stole most of the scenes he was featured in.

Effects / Cinematography: (7) Camera shots for the most part were great, but I have to complain about the length of the wedding scenes. I thought it was a poor choice of editing and it dragged on....and on....and on. They could have easily cut 10 minutes out of the post wedding without impacting the overall movie in any way. Its my opinion that every scene should have a purpose and there was just way too much filler. I hear Derek say that it was to bring a balance of joy to all the sorrow of the film, but it was just too much for me.

Plot: (8.5) A modern day adaptation of the prodigal son, or in this case the prodigal daughter. I thought the script was well written and flowed effortlessly.

Entertainment: (7.5) The unending wedding scenes really brought the movie down a notch for me on an entertainment level. I thought the feeling portrayed of actually being a part of the festivities was done pretty well, but both the rehearsal dinner and the post vows parts were extremely tedious.

Cumulative: (8.125) Overall a solid movie and one that should be studied in film classes across the country. The acting was phenomenal, but editing choices brought the overall score down a bit for me. I haven't gotten through all of the 2008 movies that Derek has, but I would place this near the top of my list as well.