Review: My Best Friend's Wedding
Starring: Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Everett Written by Ronald Bass Directed by P.J. Hogan
It only seems like yesterday when a small romantic comedy was released, reviving the career of its male star and launching the career proper of it's female one. Pretty Woman was the sleeper hit of the year and managed to land Julia Roberts her second consecutive Oscar nomination, as well as putting Richard Gere into the hearts of women everywhere (for a year or two, at least).
Roberts started to make a career for herself playing beautiful women either in love or in peril, but after a supporting role in Steven Spielberg's Hook she took a break, only taking a cameo in Robert Altman's The Player before returning in Alan J. Pakula's The Pelican Brief, which lead to a string of relatively unsuccessful roles in such films as Something to Talk About and I Love Trouble. Roberts' honeymoon with American audiences, it seemed, was over, and moviegoers had a new sweetheart, in the sickening guise of Sandra Bullock (critics even raved that her hit romantic comedy, While You Were Sleeping, was "The Pretty Woman of the Nineties!" - conveniently forgetting that the latter was, indeed, released in 1990). Roberts started putting quality before salary by appearing in less commercial fare such as Everyone Says I Love You and Michael Collins, but that didn't seem to be enough.
It was time for a comeback.
My Best Friend's Wedding is a complete success for Roberts, who plays Julianne, a restaurant critic who's life is thrown into turmoil when her ex-lover/best friend Michael (the comatose Dermot Mulroney) announces his engagement to his brand new love, Kimmy (future star Cameron Diaz), who in turn recruits Julianne to be her maid of honour. Julianne becomes insanely jealous and plots to break the relationship by any means necessary to win Michael, for whom she suddenly realises her true feelings.
Lending a helping hand is the disapproving George (Rupert Everett) who, while sympathetic to Julianne's cause, decides to run things his own way, much to Julianne's dismay.
The film was directed by Muriel's Wedding's writer-director P.J. Hogan and so there are, predictably, some terrific set pieces, most notably Kimmy's brave attempt at karaoke and George's scene in the restaurant, where he and the other patrons break into song. There are also numourous little touches that are far funnier than you'd fine in a romantic comedy directed by a Hollywood filmmaker; the opening title sequence, for example, as well as scenes involving, among other things, helium and Michelangelo's David (don't ask).
Roberts gives her best performance yet. After seeing this, I realised something I had never thought would happen - I was becoming a Julia Roberts fan, a statement which would have appalled me six months ago. On the strength of her work here she has easily wrestled Sandra Bullock off her perch and should be able to rest comfortably for a couple of years yet, although she should definately look out for her co-star, Cameron Diaz, who has the charisma and personality to be a major screen presence in the near future.
Someone with a distinct lack of charisma, however, is Dermot Mulroney. His casting is puzzling; although he does turn in an adequate performance, he just doesn't fit the role. Why would anyone even care about this man? Why would someone as dull as Michael have two women such as Julianne and Kimmy fighting for him?
At the other end of the spectrum is Rupert Everett. He is perfect as George, Julianne's editor who just happens to be gay. Every single scene he appears in is a delight, and if he doesn't turn his role here into at least an Oscar nomination then the performances that are given nods will have to be extraordinary.
This is the film that should redefine the American romantic comedy. While mildly predictable, the screenplay is fine, and Hogan's direction is flawless. Mulroney is the only real flaw, but with such fine actors as Roberts, Diaz and especially Everett, it is a flaw that can be easily overlooked.
4.5 out of 5
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