Charles’ (Hugh Grant) attends social event after social event where he interacts with interestingly extravagant people and seems to find himself in a number of precarious situations. After a series of four weddings...and a funeral, Charles finds himself questioning his feelings for Carrie (Andie MacDowell). As he begins to understand how he feels, he understands that his chance with her is slipping away. Charles will attempt to face his fears of commitment and settle down with the first woman he has ever loved.
Four Weddings and a Funeral attempts comedy in ways that I was unfamiliar with. Comedy, as many know, is subjective, and, what appeals to one may not appeal to others. There is a strong possibility that I was the wrong demographic for this film, and that this film appeals to a very specific group of people. There were many times when I thought to myself that the comedy was too sophisticated for me, or that I was possibly too dense to appreciate what was being said. I eventually chalked up the misunderstanding to the cast’s inability to present their parts with any emotion. Writer Richard Curtis and director Mike Newell approached comedy from angles not typically seen in film (or anywhere for that matter). Grant, MacDowell and the rest of the cast attempted to deliver their comedic lines in the dryest of fashions. It appeared, quite often, that the actors made little or no attempt to show emotion while presenting their lines and that they were hoping that the comedy would present itself in a humorous fashion. Nearly every line came off as an actor spewing memorized dialogue and much less like a true conversation, and the film suffered as a result of this. John Hannah (Matthew) managed to deliver a eulogy with great aplomb and was able to provide viewers with the tiniest glimmer of hope that the acting would get better. For all of thirty seconds, the audience was overcome with emotion. Sadly, this was during said eulogy with both Grant and MacDowell off-screen and out of mind.
While the story had potential, the bulk of the actors (with the exception of Hannah), butchered the script and caused the film’s appeal to dissipate. With the exception of the opening scene (and Hannah’s scene delivering the eulogy), the film lacked emotion. Furthermore, it lacked a humor that I was able to appreciate. The disappointing comedic approach and the failed attempts at dry humor ruined the film and any chance that it had to be successful. For whatever reason this film is appreciated by certain audiences, however, to me, it feels like a seriously failed attempt at comedy.
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