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Margot at the Wedding

Margot at the Wedding was not at all the experience I was expecting. Based initially on the title and the fact that Jack Black was the leading man, I was expecting another boring wedding gone awry dramedy. Then after seeing the film, I thought it was one of those completely pointless, 'glimpse-into-their-lives,' pictures that really aren't supposed to have any impact or meaning other than, 'hey, now I know what it would be like to be that guy for a day.' It wasn't until a day or so after that I finally settled on what the film really was. It was actually quite a brilliant piece of filmmaking that requires a lot of work on the part of the audience and can be interpreted in many, many different ways.

You can't go see this movie alone, you really have to see this movie with someone and you both have to be in the mood to search for hidden meaning, symbolism and that which lies beneath. If you're not prepared to do that, don't waste your time, you'll only end up feeling completely cheated by the experience and will be asking for your money back.

Nicole Kidman does an amazing job as the titular character; a Manhattan based writer and mother of two on her way to the boon docks to her sisters wedding to man she's only known for a brief time. The exact family back story is never fully explained but we are led to believe that their childhood was less than ideal with an absent mother and an abusive father; the extent or type of the abuse is uncertain. Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Margot's flighty sister Pauline who is thrilled to finally be marrying someone even if it is Malcolm, a not exactly first prize kinda guy played by Jack Black.

The relationship that stands out most to me in the film is between Margot and her son Claude, played with surprising grace and powerful subtlety by newcomer Zane Pais. Claude is at that uncertain age where he's physically becoming a man but is still emotionally very much a little boy. The lines of what is and isn't appropriate behavior towards his mom are definitely coming into question. Margot's relationship with her son and their interaction are really the only clues we have to her own childhood and in my interpretation of the film, it leads to horrifying conclusions and patterns that she herself is desperately trying to avoid.

There are many other interpretations of the film of course, a lot of which argue that the truly revealing relationship to watch is between the two sisters. It is amazing to see how much they love one another

but also how immediately destructive they are to each other. Then there are those who say that Jack Black's character and how he deals with entering into this family craziness is where all the answers lie; Or maybe even with the crazy hill billie next door neighbors. So as you can imagine this is an incredibly difficult film to critique for those who haven't yet seen it.

What I can unilaterally say is that the entire cast does a great job of bringing to the screen something that at first seems incredibly basic and bland, but which in reality has more layers than one could imagine. A huge amount of credit obviously has to go to director Noah Baumbach of Squid and the Whale fame who is truly what I would consider to be an actual artist working in film today. Anyone who can create something be it a film or a painting or a story that can support multiple interpretations and can be re examined over and over again and continually find something new in, is perhaps what the definition of an artist should be.

As I said though, this movie is not for everyone. In fact, I'm pretty certain box office wise it won't do much but I am hopeful that come awards season this little film and everyone involved in the making of it will be remembered.

Movie Grade: A-

Synopsis:

Acclaimed Academy Award®-nominated writer/director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Kicking and Screaming) brings to life a sharply observed portrait of a family in distress. His latest project is an unflinchingly honest story about coming to terms with one’s family and oneself, a journey that is both funny and heartbreaking. The film stars Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jack Black.