I haz a haircut

We saw Rachel Getting Married yesterday, with Angela and Jason, and it was really lovely. Anne Hathaway plays a recovering drug addict who returns home for her sister’s wedding, a storyline which could have been so cheesy and overacted, but wasn’t at all. The film is about family, addiction, grief, guilt, and love… with beautiful costumes, fabulous music (I expect nothing less from a movie that co-stars Tunde Adebimpe, though he apparently had little to do with it), and a gorgeous setting. It was shot to look very intimate — high-def digital video, like you might have at home — and it felt very real, even more honest and genuine than Once, which I love. Everything rang so true, from the sisters’ goofy reminiscences to the heartfelt wedding toasts, the in-laws’ interactions, the speeches at the 12-step meeting, and everyone’s reactions to all the above. The casting was absolutely perfect, and diverse in a way that didn’t feel contrived at all. The film felt very modern, with the ambient informal soundtrack and guests taking photos with digital cameras. Many reviewers said the familial drama was difficult to watch, but I didn’t feel that way about it at all. It felt like there was this wonderful wedding going on and these filmmakers just happened to drop in on it and make an extraordinary movie.