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Rachel Getting Married(2008)

Directed by Jonathan Demme

I'm of two minds about this. Its authentic at times, and very stagey at others, not normally a bad thing, but here I dunno...

There's a scene where Kim's mom says "Honey I don't think you should smoke...can we smoke in here...?", it's one of those little deflected moments that makes a film seem life-like and genuine, I enjoyed it, then I noticed that Kim never really smokes, shes always holding those cigarettes, like fashion accessories, but never actually smoking them. A friend of mine, Alice Shen wrote, "Okay. Number one rule for realistic smoking: INHALE! You can't just play "edgy" by putting on some eyeliner, burning out your hair, and spouting "fuck" without accenting the FUH, the UH, the KUH!", and I agree.
That being said, Ive lived with people in and out of rehab my entire life. They are unpleasant, annoying, unsympathetic. Kim is as well, in life, I alternate between patience and ignoring them completely.
I spent most of this movie waiting for Ann Hathaway to be off screen, so I could get back to the wedding which I enjoyed.
I loved the camera work, and the way it lingered on the wedding party, longer than expected, it was joyous, and also this films most unique moment. I thought the performances all around were very good, Hathaway's performance I thought ranged from good to blah.
I liked that we don't know what started her drug abuse, we know what helped, the accident and the divorce, but whatever demons Kim has remain internal. Everything she says in the movie is blame, excuse, sobsistic grandstanding, insult, or self deprecation.
I got as sick of it, as the rest of the characters. She is not ready to take responsibility for herself, and to be honest with others, so back she goes(to rehab I think or maybe, but less likely to move in with with the bald nurse/doctor she was implied to have had an affair with?).
Could have gone without the "accident" too, it just seemed another convenient point of drama, when the wedding and the junkie antics were enough.
Tunde Adibempe's serenade was nice. The wedding was multicultural and interracial, like the fathers after his divorce, and Kim's tryst at the hospital, but thankfully it doesn't draw too much attention to itself.
Jonathan Demme, has grown as a film maker, he puts his documentary chops to good work here.
It's worth seeing, I enjoyed the film as a whole, even if the drama had its unintentionally awkward moments.
Its not perfect, but I do look forward to seeing it again. I have a feeling I might like to come back to it.