Margot At The Wedding

Most of have one important thing in common, we belong to families. As we grow up this most basic of human social structures change and expand to include the significant others of siblings. People rapidly learn that they have to show some degree of love and respect for blood relatives but when it comes to extended family members all bets are off. There are also the natural changes that occur as the members of the family grow up. In their childhoods siblings may be best of friends but as they become adults this relationship may become estranged. The film ‘Margot at the Wedding’ is about one such family. It was written and directed by Noah Baumbach whose previous work ‘The Squid and the Whale’ rapidly became the hit of the art house set. While not up to the standard set by that film ‘Margot and the Wedding’ offers a darkly humorous incite into a barely functional family. Baunbach takes on the creation of these characters with brutal honesty. While ‘Squid’ dealt with the effect of parental divorce on the children this film focuses on adult children and their parents. Because of this the tone is darker and the situations often uncomfortably close to home for many in the audience. If this film is to be considered less than its predecessor one possible reason may be audiences tend to empathize more for films with children than messed up adults.

In this film Baumbach moves away from the usual Hollywood character prototypes. These people are cut from a more realistic cloth. While watching you will hope for a happy movie ending but considering the over all mood of the film there is little hope for that. The catalyst for the plot is a family reuniting for a wedding. There is nothing like that event to bring out the worse in people. Most of us have been to a few and the combination of emotions and alcoholic beverages tend to expose the nerves of the best of us. If anything while watching you will be thankful that your family is no where near as dysfunctional as the ones portrayed here. Not since ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woof’ has any group of characters been so set upon getting under the skin of others. You get the whole spectrum of potential family arguments here ranging from parental disappointment to sibling rivalry. There are even a few skeletons that get to fall, or rather get dragged, out of the family closet. The difficulty that Baumbach faces here is presenting a film that has a cast of unlikable characters who are unable to evoke the slightest iota of sympathy. This is not a film for the casual movie buff. It requires the ability to appreciate style and technique and separate that from the presentation of the characters. It is like some people you might know. Socially you have to have contact with them but there is little if anything about them you like. It might be best to consider viewing this film as if you were an anthropologist observing the strange customs of foreign society. You don’t have to fully relate to them to understand how they treat each other. Then again this film might just hit too close to home. In that case consider it a catharsis.

The film begins on a train with a son, Claude (Zane Pais) buying a cup of coffee for his mother Margot (Nicole Kidman). They are returning to the family’s east coast estate for the wedding of her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to her fiancé Malcolm (Jack Black). Margot has some trepidation since she has been estranged from her sister for many years now. As Margot and Claude rid the train the mother rest her head on her son’s shoulder and begins to set up the coming attacks on her sister asking him if he would marry someone you only knew for a year. Not only is this inappropriate for Margot to ask Claude is barley in puberty and has no basis to answer. This sets Margot up as a person who craves validation from others. After taking a ferry to the island where the family lives they are picked up by Malcolm and Pauline’s daughter Ingrid (Flora Cross) who is a bit younger than Claude. Margot’s husband Jim (John Turturro) is obvious by his absence as noticed by Ingrid. External factors begin to loom over the impending wedding when the next door neighbors, the Vogels (Michael Cullen and Enid Graham) demand an old tree near the property line be cut down. Both Margot and Pauline remember that tree as a place of happy childhood memories back when they got along. Margot is a published author of short stories and as it is mentioned in the film well know to a small group of people. She is the type of author featured in the literary section of newspapers but never makes it to the television talk show circuit. In contrast Pauline has lived the bohemian life style and in Margot’s eyes has drifted through life. Malcom is a self proclaimed artist who seems to have made unemployment into his only true art form. At a book signing Margot meets up with an author she knows from New York, Dick Koosman (Ciarán Hinds). She is hopeful that with her husband back home some sparks will ignite. Dick has a teenaged daughter Maisy (Halley Feiffer) who catches the attention of Claude. Margot lashes out at just about everyone around. She attacks Pauline for her dreamy attitude towards life, Malcolm for being a loser and even gets a few jabs in on her own son.

Baunbach does an admirable job here both as writer and director. The script is worded near perfectly reflecting the ever changing emotional state of the characters. Many times during the film the dialogue is difficult to take. No matter how well your family gets along you can identify with the turmoil these people are going through. The lack of sympathy the audience may feel towards them is assisted by the fact that many of their problems are self induced. As a director Baunbach makes a few stumbles. Some of the scenes are literally so dark it is difficult to make out the characters. This tends to add to the over all feel of the piece but at the cost of throwing some of the flow off. The pacing is uneven but in this case it works. Families like this wax and wane, allegiances changing from moment to moment. It is only natural for an emotional blow up to be followed by a slower period of sulking, reflection and doubt.

The cast is the best part of this entire film. After some dismal failures at the box office with such things as ‘Bewitched’ it is great to see Nicole Kidman show that she is one of the best actresses today. Under a flop of mousy brown hair Kidman gives a performance that is gripping. She wears this character like a pair of favorite jeans. She inhabits Margot and makes the audience believe in the presentation. Kidman demonstrates a range here that is a wonder to watch. Playing the faultless counterpoint to Kidman is Jennifer Jason Leigh. She is plays her role with a dreamy eyed world view but with a seething resentment just under the surface. Together these too actresses show a possible reason for the sister’s failure to get along; they are both too equally matched. They portray Pauline and Margot as two women that have tried to upstage the other for years but never seemed able to manage it. The tree the neighbors want to cut down comes to symbolize this. Pauline is willing to let go of it like she is willing to let go of the past with her sister. On the other hand Margot climbs the tree and hugs it tightly, wanting to go back to those more carefree days. This is an uncharacteristic role for Jack Black. Usually he plays the fool, a man with no internal censor who is willing to do anything for a cheap laugh. While he is still the comedic element here he reins in his performance to the likeable loser. For a man so able to go overboard it is something else to see him actually act.

The film is presented to DVD by Paramount. As mentioned the video is occasionally too dark but other than that the anamorphic 1.85:1 video works well. The color palette is muted suiting the wintry setting and emotions. The Dolby 5.1 is mostly in the background doing its job. The channel separation is excellent but in a film like this there is little for the sub woofer to do. The only extra is a commentary track by Baunbach and Leigh. It is better than most and displays they devotion both had for the project. This is a film that has its flaws but overall is a fascinating watch.

Posted 02/01/08