To date, I’ve only attended three weddings in my life. Two of them I was in, but none as the star. All were fairly traditional. Held at churches. Brides wore white. Groomsmen dressed in tuxedoes. As the title would suggest, a wedding takes place at the core of Rachel Getting Married, and exists to drive the surrounding events. Although the wedding was nothing like the others I’ve attended, aside from the lawful union of two people, I feel I can chalk up another tally on my Wedding Attendance Scorecard.

The titular Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) is indeed tying the knot with her fiancé Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe), but she is not the center of attention, as all brides aspire to be. She is upstaged by her sister Kym (Anne Hathaway), who is granted a two-day leave of absence from her long-standing stint in drug rehabilitation, for the sole purpose of attending the wedding. Although Kym is content to keep a lower profile, her family is wound tightly throughout her presence. She makes them stiffen up whenever she enters a room, as there are skeletons in her drug-addled closet.

Regardless of tensions, the show must go on. No one comes between a bride and her wedding, and this is no exception. Kym tries to stay on her best behavior, managing to attend a drug addiction meeting, trying to maintain some semblance on the life she’s known for so long. She makes an acquaintance with a fellow recovering drug addict, who just happens to be Sidney’s best man. They share an intimate moment, and it appears this may be the road the film heads down. However, the focus is never removed from the wedding and how the bond of sisterhood is exhausted during tumultuous times.

Eventually, Kym lashes out in frustration from the constant peering and unease around her. She vies to be the maid-of-honor, wanting the title stripped from Rachel’s best friend. She gives a self-centered toast at the reception dinner, showing a flair for the dramatic, sucking all celebratory good cheer from the room. Those skeletons in the closet reveal themselves in a bout of competitive dishwashing and it’s instantly understood the wariness and unease that surrounds her. Their divorced mother (Debra Winger) appears to be the one individual that can set things straight, but might be the most uncomfortable of all.

If you love something, let it go. Yes, she loves this light.

Aside from the downer subject matter of drug rehab and closeted skeletons, the film is actually full of joyous celebration. It is about a wedding after all. In what is supposed to be the happiest day of a couple’s life, the pairing is never discouraged and always positive. The script by first-timer Jenny Lumet (daughter of Sidney) is nothing short of illuminating. It was never in danger of becoming a Hollywood studio picture as it bucks every trend you tried to see coming. It takes a deliberate and methodical pace that invites you to be a fly-on-the-wall throughout its forever-intriguing storyline.

Perfectly married to the script is Jonathan Demme’s expert direction. He employs an ever-roving camera, managing to capture giant scope and miniature detail. He stays with scenes much longer than expected, providing the audience member with the feeling of having been present in the scene. The aforementioned rehearsal dinner sees most, if not all, members of the party stand up and toast the bride and groom, even if they have no other moments throughout. This helps open things up and successfully creates an atmosphere that allows the nuances of the film to flourish. This process is aided by lively music for the duration, making the unique wedding experience that much more.

Of course, the film would ultimately fail those two terrific elements were in not for top-notch acting all-around. Hathaway, looking unglamorous for the first time since pre-transformation in The Princess Diaries, captures the role of her life to-date, with a depth she’s never had a chance to display. Kudos to Demme for immediately thinking of her and helping her inhabit the human tornado. She deserves every acting nomination she’s received for the role, and it’s a shame she hasn’t won to this point. She has successfully transitioned herself from a Disney queen to a tremendous talent, and the roles will be rolling in. Special mentions need to be made for DeWitt, Debra Winger and Bill Irwin, all of whom give award-worthy performances, elevating a great film through terrific chemistry.

Rachel Getting Married was a tremendous experience, from beginning to end. I’ve fallen in love with the movie since seeing it, and I feel it was robbed of more deserved Oscar nominations. No Demme, Lumet, DeWitt or Best Picture nomination leaves the ultimate awards show sorely lacking. The film far outweighs Milk, Frost/Nixon and The Reader, which makes for severe oversight. It’s easily one of my five favorite films of the year, and I hope it gets recognized for being the modern classic it is, as soon as possible.

A couple of casting rumors, while another actor turns down a job. You’ll never guess who. Seriously. It’s bewildering.

From China.org (everybody’s favorite film news site) via FilmSchoolRejects.com lies the tidbit of Anne Hathaway possibly getting together with Jack Black, for the next Stephen Chow (CJ7) film. You might remember Chow dropping out of the director’s chair on The Green Hornet and this is presumably the reason why. He is currently the writing the script for what is apparently a special-effects-ridden, superhero, action-comedy. No other tidbits have been revealed, aside from the aforementioned Black and Hathaway as possible stars, along with Chow himself.

The same person?

The last action-comedy Hathaway was involved in was last summer’s Get Smart. It was mostly unfunny and very forgettable. It did, however, wake me up to Hathaway’s beauty, and that’s certainly commendable. I wouldn’t put the onus on her for the film’s failings. I assume Chow saw something in her that made him think she’d work here. I’m definitely curious to see how this shapes up. Here’s the trailer for Get Smart in order to relive some past glory:

Courtesy of The Telegraph is the news Cate Blanchett has been mentioned as possibly filling the shoes left by Sienna Miller as Maid Marion for Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood film, Nottingham. Russell Crowe is set to play the dual role of Robin Hood/Sheriff Nottingham in the film. Actor, Mark Strong (studly in RockNrolla), playing Guy of Gisbourne, talked about the chances:

“I think Cate Blanchett is set to take the Maid Marian part. She is a wonderful actress and it would make it a much classier film if she was in it.”

That assessment is probably correct. Certainly classier than Sienna Miller, but I guess you’d have to combat the antics of Russell Crowe, too. Although I haven’t seen Scott’s past two teamings with Crowe (Body of Lies and A Good Year), I’m somewhat down with this movie. I haven’t been Blanchett’s greatest fan due to the costume dramas, but I don’t diss her either. I’m still on board with this.

To this day, this is what I think about with I hear the name Robin Hood:

Lastly, from TotalFilm comes an excerpt from an interview with Jean-Claude Van Damme about why he turned down a role in Sylvester Stallone’s old-school action-star throwback project, The Expendables.

“Stallone gave me a part in his next movie,” he told us. “But I ask him about the subject, about the story.”

“He said, ‘You’re gonna make lots of money.’ I don’t want to hear that, I want to hear what was my character.  He was unable to tell what it’s going to be.”

“[Stallone said:] ‘You know, uh, well, the fighting will be good.’ [So I said:] ‘Sly, what is my character?’ So I didn’t do the movie.”

So, he’s a serious actor now? Perhaps all the positive buzz from JCVD has gone to his head. I do like Stallone’s idea of this reunion of all these 80′s action stars for one last go-round, combining them with the stars of today, kind of passing the proverbial torch to them. It’s far better than the incessant remaking of the entire 80′s film catalogue.

As of now the action cast stands at: Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li and Jason Statham. Steven Seagal and Arnold Schwarzenegger somehow need to free themselves up for this.

Although most others would probably prefer Bloodsport, the combination of hockey and action film was my Van Damme haven. Gotta love it when he skates out and tends goal! Here’s a clip from Sudden Death: