Plot: What’s it about?
Guy Jamieson (Richard Roxburgh) has just married his dream woman. Lizzie (Cate Blanchett) in a beautiful, sincere ceremony. Lizzie is gorgeous, intelligent, wealthy, faithful, and kind, with minimal negative habits to mention. In other words, he has found his one true love and as such, he should be nothing less than thrilled. As he walks about his guests and lives his first hours as a married man however, his thoughts turn toward the past. More to the point, he begins to think about one of his former lovers, the unique and memorable Jenny (Frances O’Connor). Although their time together was often unstable, the two had a lot of fun and in terms of memories, few people have supplied as many to Guy as her. He thinks about the good times, the bad times, the dangerous times, and of course, the times when they would settle differences in intimate ways. Has Guy married the wrong woman, even though she is so perfect, or was he right to let go of Jenny?
I had never even heard about this film until this disc’s release, which is odd, given the nice cast involved. But even so, it was well worth the time to check out this little seen film, as it offers a fresh take on lost romance. I’ve seen a lot of movies that deal with the subject of former loves, but The Wedding Party throws in a lot of new takes, which makes it stand out. This Australian production presents us a very natural situation, not some overblown chain of events, like some romantic films do, to make it all seem grander than it is. In this picture, the events are the kind of things that could happen to us all and instead of cliched characters, we have very natural ones, just normal people in these normal situations. As such, it is much easier to relate to the characters and the choices they face, since they’re regular folks, as opposed to outlandish stereotypes. I wouldn’t call this the finest romantic film I’ve seen, but if you like the genre, give it a rental.
I don’t think I’ve ever been let down by one of her performances, even the smallest ones, so of course, I was pleased to find Cate Blanchett’s name on the case here. I almost find myself thinking she has been around forever, but her career is rather short and spans few films, so I am always glad to see them released on DVD. This is not her best role, but she manages well enough and enhances her character, without a doubt. Even when the material dips here and there, Blanchett is able to keep her performance intact. I do wish she was given more to work with at times though, as most of the better lines go to other performers, which is a shame. You can also see Blanchett in such films as Elizabeth, The Gift, Pushing Tin, An Ideal Husband, Paradise Road, and The Talented Mr. Ripley. The cast also includes Richard Roxburgh (Mission: Impossible 2, Moulin Rouge), Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park, Bedazzled), and Linden Wilkinson (The Leaving of Liverpool, Raider of the South Seas).
Video: How does it look?
The Wedding Party is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a clean, stable visual presentation, with minimal flaws to mention. I can excuse the slight grain in some scenes, as this was a lower budget production and aside from that, there’s not much to discuss in terms of problems. The print looks clean, colors have a bold gloss, but never smear, while contrast is stark and always on the mark. I wouldn’t say this transfer leaps out as a superb one, but it is well handled and I doubt anyone will be let down here.
Audio: How does it sound?
As this is more of a dialogue driven effort, the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is rather tame, but it gets the job done. The musical soundtrack sometimes livens up the surround presence, but most of the audio resides in the front channels, as intended. This is fine by me however, as it ensures the mix remains natural and has a pleasant overall sound. The dialogue is clean and easy to understand, with no harshness or distortion in the least. This disc also includes a 2.0 stereo option, in case that better suits your home theater needs.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a series of brief cast & crew interviews, as well as a short B roll of behind the scenes footage.
