A Disappointing Continuation

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

In the AFI Romance's montage, the image of a smiling Julia Roberts running in the airport was inserted in the 'climactic races' part, when you know it was only to meet her friend, you have an idea of how misleading the image was (although that was quite a bump when they 'met'). That's the best thing about P.J. Hogan's "My Best Friend's Wedding", it toys with all the expectations and actually delivers a story where you never exactly know what will happen till the end. That it stars Julia Roberts could be seen as its best asset, but even in her finest romantic comedies, say "Pretty Woman" or "Notting Hill", let's not kid ourselves, we knew exactly how they would end. In "My Best Friend's Wedding", we sort of figure out that she's not going to win, but the certitude doesn't come up immediately and still, there's the whole mystery about how the revelations will all unfold and the hurts be done with each characters' arc closing in a satisfying way. This is a love triangle and a school case of intelligent screen writing. The credit goes to Ronald Bass and I'm pretty sure a few more one-liners would have sealed its chances for an Oscar nomination.Now, take the set-up, we all know it but it's a delightful one. Food critic Julianne Potter (Roberts) gets a phone call from her best friend Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney). Together they forged a pact that if no one found true love at 28, they were going to marry each other, the call almost rings like a proposal, except that the proposal was done and Michael is getting married with Kimmy Wallace (Camerone Diaz) a 20-year dizzy girl from a very wealthy Chicago family. Julianne is flabbergasted, her poor Michael has obviously fallen in a trap, or is just too blind to realize he's doing the blunder of his life. Naturally, she decides to sabotage the wedding.Once the pieces of the game are placed, you've got to wonder who's got the most thankless role. Is it Julia Roberts because she's the closest to an unsung villain and there's never a moment where we empathize with her or accept any of her plans to ruin the idyll between the couple to be. Or is it Cameron Diaz whose performance as Kimmy resembles her smiling and overly naive Mary in the Farrelly Brothers' film and she looks like the eternal victim too dumb (or enamored) to realize that she just asked her worst enemy to be her maid of honor. Or is it Michael who doesn't see what's going on and has literally jeopardized his happiness without realizing it? In a lesser script, the film would have been cringe-worthy or mean-spirited.But this is a quality screenplay. As a matter of fact, none of these characters have a thankless role, Julianne is given her moments of redemption, but they're never played as "what have I done?" but rather "what am I doing?" she does question herself but it strikes that she genuinely loves Michael and she's acting out of selfishness more than meanness. I liked that she really sticks to her original plans until she realizes it's definitely over. Michael isn't just the good looking playboy playing hide-and-seek with his feelings, Mulroney plays him as a rather articulate man who's also unsure about his feelings and do have a few demons to get rid of, with both Julianne or Kimmy. In a way, even Julianne's plans allows him to settle some records.As for Kimmy, she may not be the brightest bulb but she's given her finest moment at the climactic confrontation and again, the film doesn't go for the cheap, easy and spectacular way. In another movie (Anne 'cough' Hatthaway, Kate 'cough, cough' Hudson), there would have been a big cat-fight with parts of the wedding cake being thrown at the guests, but this film plays in another league, the whole thing is dealt in an adult, and funny way that makes us reconsider our initial anticipations. That's how a film should work, surprising, heart-warming and fun. Ronald Bass' screenplay made me realize why I disliked screwball movies like "His Girl Friday" or "The Philadelphia Story", if "My Best Friend's Wedding" was a George Cukor's film, it would have probably ended with Julia Robert's plans working all the way.But it's played perfectly in the film, because the characters are all three-dimensional and sympathetic. But if none of them have thankless roles, the juiciest role belongs to the scene-stealing Rupert Everett who plays Robert's gay friend, George Downes, an editor who knows what to say, who handles his identity with very good charm and spirit and who's responsible for possibly the three best parts of the film. His unforgettable introduction to Kimmy with all the frenetic laughs and one hilarious slap in the butt that I suspect was unscripted, the signature scene where everyone sings "A Little Prayer for You" and naturally, the ending, you can't make a good romantic comedy without a nice ending. And I couldn't think of a better way to close it.Speaking of Rupert Everett, this was an Oscar nomination performance because that's exactly what supporting performances are supposed to be, they enhance the appeal of the film with a limited screen presence, it's a role that plays like a Greek chorus, a comic relief and a voice of wisdom all in once. And it's not every guy who can't take pride from stealing the thunder of Miss Julie Roberts herself...So, "My Best Friend's Wedding" is one of these experiences that slowly grows on you and you end up realizing twenty years after that there have been a very few romantic comedies as good or better as "My Best Friend's Wedding". Julia Roberts will turn 50 soon and the film reminds us what a gem for romantic comedies (or so-called chick flicks) she was.

My Best Friend's Wedding (1997): Dir: P.J. Hogan / Cast: Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Everett, Philip Bosco: Great romantic comedy about penetration. Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney promise to marry each other at twenty-eight if both are single by that time. When she is invited to his wedding she plans to split it up. Cameron Diaz enters as the fiancée and hooks up with Roberts hoping to enhance upon friendship. The result is heart-warming with fine comic timing by director P.J. Hogan who previously made another wedding film called Muriel's Wedding. One of Roberts's best performances as she overcomes formula elements with a great sense of integrity. Mulroney torn between two women and avoids entrapment within formula by still being genuine. Cameron Diaz enters with a blast of enthusiasm and where many such films would portray her in negative light, it is a great spin here that she is not the enemy. Her sincerity provides tension when Roberts schemes. Rupert Everett steals scenes as Roberts's gay editor who is there when needed and while he provides many great laughs, he is also in the best place during the last scenes. Philip Bosco has a small role as the wealthy father of the Diaz character whom is used unknowingly within the schemes of Roberts towards the third act. It is not about love, but about acceptance. A very funny wedding worth attending. Score: 9 / 10

After Michael tells his best friend, Julianne that he is getting married in four days, she goes straight to Chicago to help him 'prepare'. But she has every intention to stop the wedding and steal the groom from Kimberly. Over the next three days, she tries everything to split them up. Finally, on the day of the wedding, Julianne tells Michael she loves him and kisses him, but unbeknown to them both, Kimberley is watching them. Now Michael has to decide whom he loves most.....Romantic comedy writers in the late nineties must have been running out of ideas when they came up with this, because the film doesn't work in any way, unless your some bitter friendless misery.Which is how I'd exactly describe Roberts character in this film. It's not Roberts fault, she's perfectly fine in her role, it's just that I kept asking myself whilst watching this 'how on earth am I suppose to sympathise with such a scheming, snobby, unhappy piece of work like her?'.And the answer was, I couldn't. Julianne is a totally unlikable character, similar friends,who are just as consumerist savvy as her and give her the wrong advice.My advice to her would have been, forget the wedding, get over yourself, get new friends, and come back down to earth and live in the real world for a few days, you are not that important really......But saying that,the rest of the characters are just as plastic and as false as each other and are a million miles away from 'real' people. It seems to me that the writers believe that everyone has to be rich, live in wonderful apartments, have jobs they love, and have dinner parties every night.Well, that's not the case for 98% of the population of the planet! a little bit of reality would be nice now and again.A horrible film, full of hateful, plastic characters, horrible scenarios, and embarrassing, cringeworthy dialogue.The most anti-romantic comedy. Would make an ideal double bill with Sex and The City 2, just to tell you that rich people can be unhappy too!!!!Thanks film makers....

Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts) is a relationship-phobic food critic. Her best friend is her ex Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney). They have a pact to get married at 28 if there is no other prospects. She is about to turn 28. When he calls her, she thinks it's about their pact but it turns out that he is getting married to giddy bad-singing Kimberly Wallace (Cameron Diaz). Julianne is shocked and jealous. She starts to a scheme to separate the couple with the help of her gay editor friend George Downes (Rupert Everett).This could have been a darker subversive plot as the story follows Julianne's scheming ways. However Julia Roberts does it so adorably that it is a very light fun romp. If there is somebody more adorable, it has to be Cameron Diaz. Rupert Everett has some great joyous scenes. Dermot Mulroney is a little stiff but he fits the role. I am glad that it ends the way that it did. The songs are a hoot, and Diaz's laugh is infectious.