In honour of a good friend's wedding...

...today's list will be my top wedding movies.

Enjoy!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mS4VPs5OCI)

This is much more traditional than this list was supposed to be but I can't help getting a kick out of the comedy in this film. Light-hearted and enjoyable, this movie is a great curl up and enjoy type that doesn't require much thought.

Rachel Getting Married (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tIvMUy8UDs)

On the flip side, this film gets to the nitty gritty of what being family really means. With a younger sister and maid of honour (Anne Hathaway) who's recently been released from rehab and a whole host of new potential family members in tow, this film leaves you feeling like you've actually been to a wedding...drama and all.

Father of the Bride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKSmMr0uOHk)

In true Steve Allen fashion this film stumbles through to the bitter end but ultimately shows its heart. God I miss the eighties.

The Wedding Singer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf3cy-eMfkQ)

And from the actual eighties to the fake eighties, this is by far (in my eyes at least) Sandler's best film as he plays frustrated but genuinely kind-hearted Wedding singer Robbie, who's heart has been stolen by an always adorable Drew Barrymore. With the 80's kitsch and the appearance of a Delorian midway through, this film will have even the toughest critic chuckling along.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb7bu_n1erY)

No list would be complete without the film that made Hugh Grant famous. Four weddings and a funeral brings you back to the way that romantic comedies used to feel. That is, developed beyond: "Guy + Girl = sex and cooing from the audience".

Monsoon Wedding (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQjw-UyAX0)

Mira Nair's Golden Lion winning film is set in the four days that precede the arranged marriage of a middle class Indian family's only daughter. This is a film that I've always wanted to sit down and watch as I've heard nothing but good things about it so I figure, why not check it out?

Can you think of any great wedding movies?

TIFF is coming...are you prepared?

Today I came home from a weekend away to find my TIFF ticket package guide waiting in the mailbox for me to peruse and choose. But here's the rub: I went online to find out what was playing and take a look at the reviews so that I can figure out which package will work for me and lo and behold the response was this:



Not Cool. You expect me to pay a whole bunch of money for tickets I'm not even sure I'm going to use? I get that it's a prestige thing and everything but frankly I'm not interested in the showboating...I'm there for the films.

Shame TIFF. Shame!

The Girl Who Played With Fire...

Was fortunate to be one of the early birds who got a chance to attend a free screening of The Girl Who Played With Fire downtown yesterday and was very pleased with the result. Compelling as ever, Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist are back in the second installment of this Swedish trilogy based on the thrilling novels of the same name.

Almost intentionally in opposition to the way that the last film was quiet and thoughtful, taking its time to unravel the mystery at the perfect pace, this film is loud and action packed with much stalking about of characters who in the last film, spent most of their time doing desk work. It is a necessity of these types of trilogies to "up the ante" as it were and certainly this film does in an interesting and, if not unique, certainly compelling way. And while I wasn't as engrossed in the film as with the first (sorry Matt), I certainly remained entertained and interested throughout.

Noomi Rapace's Lisbeth Salander continues to fascinate and excite me and certainly although I do find that Larsson's main characters all have interesting layers, I do believe that Lisbeth is his crowning achievement and the reason that the books have sold so universally well. What's more, while he is continually making a point of the violence that is directed towards women in modern Swedish society and the perspective on women in general, Larsson insists on trolling out a slew of strong and capable female characters. Michael Bloomkvist himself becomes involved with several and certainly seems (as the trilogy's resident hero) to gravitate towards and thus validate the strength of these female role models.

All in all the film was enjoyable and (for those who saw the first film) certainly not as upsetting. Though there are graphic depictions the action is much more james bond than snuff film this time around. Rest assured, you will not be disappointed by this offering and if you haven't yet seen the first movie...please....just do it.

Oh and check out the New York Times review: http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/movies/09girl.html