Margot at the Wedding ***1/2

Director: Noah Baumbach
Margot: Nicole Kidman
Paluine: Jennifer Jason Leigh
Malcom: Jack Black
Claude: Zane Paris


Noah Baumbach has yet to create a film that isn’t thoroughly enjoyable, but what he demonstrates with Margot at the Wedding is a range that extends past the sentimental comedy of his earlier films. It continues the course begun with 2005’s The Squid and The Whale moving towards more dramatic issues revolving around the family. This film (and The Squid and the Whalee before) trades in the familiar faces of his first three films (2 if you don't count Highball, from which Baumbach removed his name) for more bankable stars: Nicole Kidman, Jack Black, and Jennifer Jason Leigh instead of Chris Eigeman, Carlos Jacott, and Eric Stoltz. While the actors in this film are wonderful, I still missed seeing old favorites of Kicking and Screaming and Mr. Jealousy.

Kidman and her son fabulously played by newcomer Paris are on the way to watch her sister Leigh marry Black. If Black and Leigh seem like an odd couple to you, you’re not alone. Kidman expresses her doubts about the success of the marriage from the beginning. It’s revealed that Leigh and Kidman haven’t spoken for many years despite referring to each other as their closest friend. Considering that they are sisters, the phrasing hints at a darker something beneath the surface. The tension between the sisters and their past is what drives the story forward. This is a film in which secrets are revealed, and I’ll not spoil any of it for you.

This is another wonderful talkfest from Baumbach, whose dialogue is always a pleasure to hear. His characters talk naturally, but cleverly. When Leigh tells Black that he’s overreacting, he responds that he’s reacting perfectly for the situation. However, this emphasis on dialogue leads to some problems.

Margot at the Wedding cuts too quickly numerous times. Several cuts are made immediately after a line is said, allowing no time for it to sit in. There is a wonderful shot in Kicking and Screaming when the camera lingers after the main characters have left the frame, allowing life to naturally reveal itself and involve the audience. In Margot, however, it appears as if the editor was instructed to move as quickly as possible. Another decision that doesn’t quite work is the natural feel of the lighting. Scenes at night really appear to be at night. Whether inside or outside, darkness overtakes the shot, making the characters hard to see. This was something I got used to―sort of―but I wouldn’t be surprised if many viewers hate it.

But the humanity of his characters, the sympathetic touch Baumbach gives them overcomes any filmmaking flaws. His films aren’t perfect; they’re just emotionally dead-on. A viewer knows they are watching something special.