A B*tch Of A Character, And A B*tch To Watch...

New DVD Review.

Margot At The Wedding
Written by: Noah Baumbach

Directed by: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jack Black

The Movie.

Adam's Take.

Margot At The Wedding is the story of two sisters, whom were once very close, but have since grown apart. Pauline (Leigh) is getting married to Malcolm (Black), and her sister Margot (Kidman) is coming for the wedding. Pauline and Malcolm seem like a good couple, but Margot has a habit of being critical and meddlesome and soon has her sister doubting the big day. Margot is even critical of her son, Claude, to the point where I don't see her fit as a mother, let alone a human being. It seems she does all her thinking out loud, mostly in front of her son, who has adopted the very same habit. Every idea she gets in her head, no matter how cruel, comes out. We hate Margot, but her thoughts are not that far away from some we all have, we just know to keep our mouths shut. Malcolm, although not perfect, is quite innocent and perhaps would make a good husband. Pauline seemed content before Margot got there and ruined everything. Even if Margot is right, she has no right to do what she does. By the end of the movie, there have been a couple good scenes and a couple good laughs, but more than anything, "Margot At The Wedding" was boring. The performances are more interesting than the characters, and Black actually steals the show. The film would be lost without him. The Squid And The Whale, Baumbach's last film, was brilliant. This makes "Margot" all the more dissapointing. If it were from an unknown writer/director, I'd be more optimistic. However, it's not. Baumbach made this, and therefore it should not be seen as anything other than a failure.
Parker's Take.

Margot At The Wedding is a mis mash of a film. Part drama and part comedy, it is neither very dramatic nor funny. Admittedly, it did have a few humourous moments, mostly involving Jack Black, as one would expect, but ultimately falls short of laugh out loud. Where this movie does succeed is in creating a cast of character that are all flawed and unlikeable. Notably among these is Margoy, who is well portrayed by a suitably spiteful and vengeful Nicole Kidman. The movie meanders around for the first half hour or so and remains quite boring throughout, with very little happening between the two main characters. This lack of interesting plot, hurtful characters and an unsatisfactory ending combine to make this a disappointing sophomore effort from Baumbach. With so many other releases this week, this one is worth a miss.

The Extras.

• A Conversation With Noah Baumbach and Jennifer Jason Leigh

Adam's Take.

There's only one extra, and it is OK, but that's all there is. It offers a bit of insight into the characters and a tiny bit into how it was shot. The case is standard. Overall, a weak DVD.
Parker's Take.

Clocking in with a mere one special feature, the set is a disappointment. Coupled with a plastic case without even a slip cover, "Margot" is a bad set all around. The one feature is mildly interesting, offering some insight into the actors experience with the characters, it did not even utilize the full cast, instead just using Jennifer Jason Leigh and Noah Baumbach. This leaves out Nicole Kidman, whose insight would have been most interesting. Overall a bad DVD presentation for a bad movie.

Audio/Video

Adam's Take.

The audio quality is fine but the visuals are a bit grainy and below average.
Parker's Take.

Standard audio and visual with one moment in which the audio was slightly off.
Overall DVD Score.

Adam's Take.

A weak film, weak special features. Weak.
Parker's Take.

Overall bad set.

The Bronze Verdict.
Bad.