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An American Carol
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Reviews
Rachel Getting Married
An exhausting march down the aisle
By
ALICIA POTTER
|
October 9, 2008
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
" alt="photo of 'RACHEL GETTING MARRIED'">
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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ARTICLES BY ALICIA POTTER
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
| October 09, 2008
An exhausting march down the aisle
A MAN NAMED PEARL
| October 01, 2008
An earnest yet inspiring documentary
BABY MAMA
| April 23, 2008
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P.S. I LOVE YOU
| December 19, 2007
A middling effort for Hilary Swank
THE LIFE OF REILLY
| November 14, 2007
Flamboyant revelations
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ALICIA POTTER
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