BRIDE WARS (Gary Winick). 90 minutes Opens Friday (January 9). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NN
What happens when a movie’s premise gets in the way of the story? When it comes to Bride Wars, you don’t believe a minute of it.
Since they were six, BFFs Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) dreamed they’d each get married in June at the Plaza. But the fates conspire in such a way that they can only get married in June at the Plaza if they share the same wedding date.
End of friendship. The idea that any woman’s wedding plans would trump a friendship is totally toxic, but let’s just probe the premise first.
BFFs forever, right? How about a double wedding? Not three minutes after the conflicting dates are established, the two fiancés suggest just that. But Liv and Emma dismiss the idea in a heartbeat.
Why? I get that there’s no movie if this gets resolved 30 minutes in, but the fact that the idea is summarily rejected makes it seem as if the two friends have no real stake in their relationship. And that makes it hard to care.
Worse, what’s left of this chick flick is pretty predictable. Maybe-gay assistant to lawyer Liv? Check. Duelling beauty salon sequence? Check. Brides practically buried in their wedding dresses in the climactic cat fight? Guess.
On the plus side, this is a smart follow-up release for Hathaway to Rachel Getting Married. She won’t have to worry about being typecast as the fucked-up young woman in a Sundance-approved indie heartbreaker. She can handle physical comedy and has terrific timing.
Candice Bergen, on the other hand, could be going the typecast route herself, doing her all-knowing, flinty thing as the wedding planner. She played a similar role in The Women.
As for Hudson, she’s got some comic flair, too, but why is she producing pap? Last year’s Fool’s Gold was also terrible. She ought to drop the producer role and hitch herself to a decent drama.
susanc@nowtoronto.com
