There are some late nights when one is brain-dead but
too tired to sleep when you drift into unchartered territory in Netflix for
something light and frothy to keep you afloat for a while. In my case it’s a very unwise move as its not
a genre that I like or am even too familiar with so inevitably I end up choosing to watch
something that instead of sending me gently to sleep and sweet dreams, just
bores me stiff.
This is one such movie. I chose it as it’s a Brit Comedy and with actors
whom I like viz. Kelly McDonald (‘No Country For
Old Men’, ‘Trainspotting’ etc) and David Tennant (‘Dr. Who’).
The rather inane plot goes like this: Lara Tyler is one of the most
famous movie stars around, but all she wants to do is marry her fiancé, writer
James Arber who has written just one best-selling book that she has become
obsessed with. Besieged by the paparazzi they escape to the tiny Scottish
island of Hegg (which Arber had pretended he came from) to try to wed in peace.
However when the news media track them down, and with the locals smelling a
payday, Lara becomes upset and runs away. In desperation her entourage of
handlers decide to stage a fake wedding, hoping that the press will fall for
the scam and leave the island. Local girl Katie who has just returned to Hegg nursing
a broken heart is recruited to pretend to be Lara.
It’s easy to guess what happens just from these few
lines and its a story where there are no ‘baddies’ at all (even the paparazzi in
this case) and everyone lives happily enough after all, even if they didn't
really deserve too.
I would sum it up as a harmless enough, pleasant and slightly
amusing comedy. I was feeling bad about
being more than a tad heavy about what is essentially an innocuous and harmless
wee movie and then I read 'The Village Voice's' take on it all which is so viscous
that its actually funny.
Michael Atkinson started his review with : Pernicious
tripe suitable only for masochists and the intellectually disabled. Wow !
Decide for yourself….if you must.
★★★★★
