By April MacIntyre Feb 12, 2007, 12:57 GMT
"Confetti" is the light hearted tale of three couples who enter a magazine competition to stage the most original wedding, and the film follows the build up to the big day as a mockumentary. Upscale wedding magazine Confetti stages a reality competition for the most unusual concept wedding, and the cattle call for the contestants kicks off a funny take on today's reality craze.
The prestigious Confetti, owned by Antoni, played by Jimmy Carr and edited by Vivienne, wonderful actress Felicity Montagu, is holding a competition to see who can hold the most original wedding, with the winners being presented with a new house and a cover shoot for the magazine. Various neurotic entrants apply, and the film follows the three selected finalists during their preparations for the big day.
Essentially Confetti is all about the payoff of the three couples earnest journey attempted, and it has wonderful comedic moments, especially with the detail driven wedding planners, gay couple Vincent Franklin as Archie and Jason Watkins as Gregory who steal the movie and round out the cast nicely, as they vainly attempt to manage the overwhelmed couples.
Carr is quite funny as Antoni, the slimeball magazine owner, "I don't think," he says of the female nudist, "anyone wants to see her muff." His lines throughout the film kill.
Confetti is one of those film's that will not change the world with any heavy message, but it is a fun and light hearted look at the reality mania we are currently awash in worldwide, the cinema veritas featuring the daily life of the absurd, it is simply a clever little British comedy in the guise of a documentary.
Couple number one features Sam, played by Jessica Stevenson and Matt played by Martin Freeman who are a good-natured couple who wish to have a wedding in the style of Busby Berkeley musicals of the 1930s and 1940s. Sam's mum and overbearing sister are a nice touch as annoying "buttinskis" who drive the wedding planners mad.
Then there is Canadian Isabelle played by Meredith MacNeill and Josef played by Stephen Mangana are a pair of ludicrously competitive professional tennis players holding a tennis-themed wedding; she of giant nostril fame. There are very funny scenes with these two involving a Spanish tennis instructor who "macs" on Isabelle and a subsequent beau brawl.
The last couple is Joanna, played by Olivia Colman and Michael played by Robert Webb, my own favorite thin skinned naturist couple who intend to hold their wedding entirely nude, as well as their entire lives in the buff amongst the horrified general public. The scene where Archie and Gregory drive up to the nudist camp to "wedding plan" with the naturists is priceless.
Confetti's editor Vivien, played by the wonderful actress Felicity Montagu of course balks at the very idea of the fully nude wedding in her magazine.
DVD extras include deleted scenes and an alternate ending with each couple winning the big prize. "3 Alternate Endings - Choose Your Own Winner"More Tears & Tantrums - Video Diary Entries, which are very funny, and Trailers for the film.
Writer/director Debbie Isitt did a good job in a tough genre to pull off. Confetti is a likable film, albeit it is lacking in key character development or storylines that give a more satisfying conclusion.
Confetti is now available for pre-order at Amazon for a March 6th release. It is now available at AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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