Review of Margot at the Wedding (2007) by Sara W — 29 Sep 2008

I got a sister-act oriented film that might strike some familiar sibling chords if you have ever been involved in a brotherly or sisterly rivalry. I am referring to Writer-Director Noah Baumbach's latest dysfunctional familia flick "Margot at the Wedding".

Nicole Kidman stars as the title character. Margot is a renowned writer living in Manhattan. The "dysfunctionality" (yes, I know, not a word) of "Margot at the Wedding" launches when Margot travels with her preteen son Claude to attend her sister Pauline's wedding.

They reside with Pauline & Company a few days before the wedding. Is there going to be a wedding? Well, I am not liberty to discuss that because if I tell you then I will forever not hold my peace with you by spoiling it.

Pauline's company includes her curious teenage daughter Ingrid and her chunky smart-mouth fiancé Malcolm. I guess because the latter resides with two females he is another example of "Malcolm in the Middle".

Malcolm is a wisecrack but I guess "Pauli want a Wisecracker". The dialoguing plot of "Margot at the Wedding" focuses on the psychoses, eccentricities, obsessions, and deliriums of the film's characters and how it apropos to Pauline & Malcolm's upcoming wedding.

Similar to past Baumbach films, the channel of communication between the characters is what bombards "Margot at the Wedding". Its dysfunctional family quirkiness did quirk up many times in this Baumbach narrative also.

I do commend Baumbach's screenplay of "Margot at the Wedding" but I just felt that Baumbach did displease me at times with a few insignificant scenes that just filled in pre-wedding scene seats instead of being virtual to the film's focus.

Jennifer Jason Leigh & Jack Black conducted effective performances as Pauline & Malcolm. Their lunatic obsessive characters fed of each other's psychoses wonderfully. Let us not forget Margot herself! Kidman was outstanding as the verbally vicious Margot.

Though it had a few flaws, I would still R.S.V.P. to attend a viewing of "Margot at the Wedding". *** Average.