Reviews

Rachel Getting Married

An exhausting march down the aisle

By ALICIA POTTER | October 9, 2008

1.5 Stars

Director Jonathan Demme’s exhausting march down the aisle starts off with Anne Hathaway smoking away in a raggedy loony-bin bob and smudgy eyeliner. It’s the trademark look of cinema’s unstable — in this case, a 12-stepper on leave from rehab for the Indian-themed wedding of her resentful sister (Rosemarie DeWitt). It’s also the first sign of clichés and contrivances to come. Toss in a saintly bunch of black in-laws, a dead kid, a chilly mother (Debra Winger), a dad in denial, and a veritable Benetton ad of irksomely musical houseguests and the curry isn’t the only thing simmering in this corner of Cheever country. Demme’s handheld camera gives the festivities a foreboding twitchiness; still, the draggy footage of every teardrop and toast, from rehearsal dinner to raucous reception, fails to move. By the time the Ganesha cake is cut, you’re left with the poodle as the only family member worthy of empathy. 115 minutes | Kendall Square

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