Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married
Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger, Jenny Lumet
Jan 16, 2009
Rachel Getting Married is this year's Margot at the Wedding. That's a simple way of saying it's a very independent film (which is apparent even visually with its grainy look and somewhat jarring camera work) about a dysfunctional family--mostly sisters--with unresolved tension that comes to a head during a family wedding. While last year's Margot mostly involved years of bad communication, Rachel is dramatically more interesting: what makes things more than uncomfortable is Kym--the sister freshly out of rehab. How she acts upon emerging, as well as the events that landed her there, are slowly revealed throughout the film.
Critical Praise for Anne Hathaway
Most of the praise reserved for Rachel is being bestowed upon Anne Hathaway (and deservedly so), the actress who plays the tortured Kym. Hers is an incredible performance--it doesn't hurt that her typical films tend to be somewhat shallow in content, and this break from insipid material is refreshing. Hathaway has always been a good actress, but her starring in a film of equally good content has been rare. Hathaway playing against type, like she does here, is even better. The other actors bring just as much skill to the film--the ensemble cast is a great one--but it is doubtless Hathaway's troubled character that is the stand-out. The fact that it's sometimes hard to empathize with a borderline narcissist (which therefore fleshes out the others' struggles) makes a far more emotionally compelling film.
Not Spelling It Out
Like many good films, while answering the most pressing questions, Rachel does not answer (at least not obviously) every single question it might raise. Much is left for the viewer to infer; it's a movie that savors moments, relationships and intricate dynamics and allows the audience to think for themselves, particularly when it comes to the "What happens next?" question. And despite the family drama at the center of the film, Rachel does not get emotionally weighed down (unlike Margot at the Wedding) and spends a good deal of the film's denoeument enjoying the wedding itself.
A Great Film For Those Inclined
Certainly not a film for all--its style or content could easily be a turn-off for many--but Rachel Getting Married combines the best elements of a play (interesting characters and great scenes for dynamic interaction) and a film (visually choosing what to emphasize in a scene, savoring the unusual nature of an inter-culture marriage). It treats the audience intelligently. It has a bare-bones feeling as it rejects cheap emotion and embraces a slightly darker approach. It may not be uplifting or even a feel-good movie, but there is indeed a message of hope, and the film deserves much praise for being a very honest one.
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