Four Weddings And a Funeral Movie Review

In the spring of 1994, Four Weddings and a Funeral was an international hit, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and turning Hugh Grant into a star. It was the My Big Fat Greek Wedding of its day. There's just one tiny difference. Four Weddings and a Funeral is a far superior movie in just about every way, a funny and stirring look at stumbling toward love and the effect of friendship.

And, there's not a bottle of Windex anywhere to be found.

Four Weddings and a Funeral stars Grant as Charles, a London bachelor whose weekends seem entirely devoted to attending weddings with his group of close friends. At one countryside wedding, Charles meets an American (Andie MacDowell at her most engaging and sexy). The chemistry is instant; the timing is lousy. They spend one lovely night together and then she's off, starting a frustrating courtship that lasts many months, through three more weddings and a funeral.

When the movie took off, a lot of the attention focused on Grant. He's pretty good here, utilizing every ounce of literate, everyman charm he can, but his stuttering, stammering routine eventually grows a little tiresome. The supporting cast, which includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow, and John Hannah, is first-rate, while writer Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Bridget Jones's Diary) makes Charles's friends relatable and utterly likable. They're flawed, they're funny, they're helpful, they're sometimes daft, but you always want them at your side.

The settings here are brimming with romance and pain, meaning that it's one false step into TV movie land. Curtis and director Mike Newell smartly downplay the dramatic aspects. This can be seen in two scenes. After one of Carrie and Charles' romantic encounters, Newell has the camera slowly pan across their darkened hotel room, and we know just by the camera's easy motion and the soft shadows on the furniture, that the night was perfect. Not a single word is uttered. The second scene is the eulogy at the movie's lone funeral. Instead of Newell focusing on the speech, he focuses on the faces in the crowd, which tell more about the person's life than anything else.

For those looking for love, you have that, but you don't drown in it. Too many directors and writers make the mistake of emphasizing the romance in a romantic comedy, forgetting that you need some drama to cleanse the pallet. Four Weddings and a Funeral provides us with a taste of drama, a bunch of laughs and, most importantly, some restraint. That last quality makes the romance taste a whole lot sweeter.

More From Contactmusic.com

More From The Web

Write for us

Comments

Four Weddings And a Funeral Rating

" Excellent "

Rating: R, 1994

Editors Recommendations

Brad Pitt Recalls Drug Damaged Life Before Meeting Angelina

Brad Pitt says he was taking too many drugs and had little ambition before meeting Angelina Jolie.

Brad Pitt - Brad Pitt Recalls Drug Damaged Life Before Meeting Angelina Jolie

Rare Harry Potter Book Sold For £150,000 Pounds

The buyer was clearly eager to own the piece of literary history, but chose to remain anonymous.

Rare Harry Potter Book Sold For £150,000 Pounds: Who Bought It?

A Week In News

Ray Manzarek Dies, Taylor Swift's Disgusted Reaction and Brad Pitt Talks Drugs

A Week In News: Ray Manzarek Dies, Taylor Swift's Disgusted Reaction and Brad Pitt Talks Drugs

'Fast And Furious 6' Accelerates To Box Office No.1

Rub your eyes in disbelief, Luhrmann's getting trounced by the latest instalment in the Fast & Furious franchise.

More Gloom For Gatsby As 'Fast And Furious 6' Accelerates To Box Office No.1

Man Of Steel - International Trailer

Piece by piece we're gradually learning more about the plot for Man Of Steel and it's starting to look rather good!

Man Of Steel Trailer

Bon Jovi Lets Rip On Justin Bieber – “Go to F***in’ Work”

Jon Bon Jovi just couldn't keep it bottled up any longer!

Bon Jovi Lets Rip On Justin Bieber – “Go to F***in’ Work”

The Beach Boys - I Get Around (Live/2013) Video

This live verson of 'I Get Around' was filmed whilst The Beach Boys were on tour in 2013.

The Beach Boys - I Get Around (Live/2013) Video

Fruitvale Station Stuns Cannes, Next Stop The Oscars? [Trailer]

The future looks bright for Ryan Coogler's debut feature Fruitvale Station, snapped up by Harvey Weinstein at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Fruitvale Station Stuns Sundance and Cannes, Next Stop The Oscars?  [Trailer]

RIP Ray Manzarek

When The Musics Over, Turn Out The Lights. The Whisky A Go Go, The Roxy, The Viper Room & The House Of Blues will all...

RIP Ray Manzarek: Doors Man's Influence Cannot Be Quantified


More recommendations

Hugh Grant Newsletter

Subscribe to this news alert service to receive news and reviews on Hugh Grant

Unsubscribe | Unsubscribe All

Films by Artist: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ