Four Weddings and a Funeral [DVD]

*** THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE FEBRUARY 2012 'BLU RAY' REISSUE ***I recently reviewed the BLU RAY reissue of "Love Actually" - commenting on how beautiful the picture quality had suddenly become over the preceding DVD versions. Well - somebody seems to be taking care of business here too - because the print on this 6 February 2012 reissue of "Four Weddings And A Funeral" is exceptional also - especially given what's gone before.Filmed in the summer of 1993 and released in the spring of 1994 - Director Mike Newell and Producer Tim Bevan took a big chance on a then largely unknown Hugh Grant as the male lead. Playing Charles - a nice but bumbling 32-year old British bachelor - he's the love interest for the sophisticated and sexy American socialite Carrie (Andie MacDowell hot from her successes in "Green Card" and "Groundhog Day"). With six hundred thousand dollars lopped off their budget and only 38 days to shoot - it cost very little to make - and therefore when it became a global phenomenon it eventually grossed over $250 million in profit worldwide. "Four Weddings..." also made stars of Hugh Grant (and Liz Hurley in 'that' dress at the London premier). It laid the ground for so many British rom-coms to follow - highlighted the classiness of Kristin Scott-Thomas ("The English Patient") - Rowan Atkinson as a comedic genius - John Hannah as the thinking-woman's crumpet - and of course properly launched the 'film' career of England's best scriptwriter - Richard Curtis. It was even nominated for 2 Oscars - Best Film and Best Original Screenplay.Clarity - starting with spotlessly clean PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and MGM logos - the BLU RAY bypasses a menu and goes straight into the credits - and as the principal characters are established in the opening montage - its clear that some kind of restoration has been done here. It looks really great - bright, clean and amazingly fresh. The picture is also automatically defaulted to a 16.9 aspect - so it fits your entire screen without losing any definition to stretching.So much is visually improved in this transfer, but moments that stick out include - the scene outside the church after the first wedding where Charles spots Carrie across the churchyard - it's beautifully clear. When they are making their way back from the tent reception - drunk in a Land Rover singing "Stand By Your Man" - and Charles gets out of the car under some trees at night - it's 'so' clear. Charlotte Coleman as Charles' eccentric sister Scarlett and her scary dress sense - orange hat and purple dress - Rowan Atkinson as the trainee priest conducting his first wedding service and blowing almost every line - when Carrie turns up at the end in the doorway in the rain - all of it - just great. There are only a few occasions when you notice slight haze and blocking (Bernard and Lydia getting it on in the bedroom as Charles hides) - but mostly it's a joy to look at and really brings out the summery feel of it all - smartly dressed guests in sunny garden locations etc. It also shows a London landscape that has no Gherkin building, the lovely Lady Di was still with us and a person gave you a Fax number and not an e-mail address.It's very funny too - the script is fantastic in so many places - Charles describing one of his posh friend's new look "Tom...disastrous haircut..." - Scott Thomas describing the dress of the first bride Laura "...She looks like a big meringue..." - George the boor at the Boatman pub thinking he's in with the American sexpot - "Damn fine filly..." - Charles confiding in Matthew (John Hannah) about fluffing an attempt at wooing the same - "Do you think there really are people who can say...Hi Baby! My name is Charles! And this is your lucky night!" And Matthew replies "Well if there is...they're not English!"And when actual heart is called for (tears instead of laughter) - Curtis gives John Hannah the speech at Gareth's funeral complete with the W.H. Auden poem "Funeral Blues" at the end ("Stop all the clocks...He was my North, my South, My East and My West...my Sunday Rest..."). It's still evocative to this day. Even the gay relationship between their characters was handled with joy and class and didn't focus on disease and ostracization.Niggles - we've seen it too many times and it hasn't dated as well as "Love Actually" or "Nothing Hill" when it comes to repeat viewing. The terrible Elton John song at the beginning. The lack of language subtitles shows an amazingly cavalier attitude to audiences outside of English speaking countries. The 'Extras' listed below are good - the 2004 versions put out on the DVD double (interviews with Grant, Newell, Callow, MacDowell etc) - but it would have been nice to have something new. But apart from those small points - there's little else. If only Terry Gilliam's film legacy was treated with such respect and smarts...To sum up - an evergreen movie and a very satisfying transfer to BLU RAY. So if you've any affection for this great British romcom - then acquire this version of it pronto - especially as its relatively cheap.Recommended.PS: this review is dedicated to the memory of the actress Charlotte ColemanBLU RAY Specifications:PICTURE: Widescreen 16.9 Aspect RatioAUDIO: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master AudioSUBTITLES: English For The Hearing ImpairedEXTRAS:Audio Commentary with Filmmakers Mike NewellFour Weddings And A Funeral - In The Making FeaturetteThe Wedding Planners DocumentaryTwo Actors And A Director FeaturetteTwo Promotional Clips (one with Hugh Grant as Lead, then Andie MacDowell as Lead)Deleted ScenesTheatrical Trailer

Still makes us laugh, great film

Bit of nostalgia. Still funny.

I hadn't seen this for over twenty years. I’d forgotten that the opening scenes, seeing people arriving for a society wedding, the first actual speech is a series of expletives, uttered because Charles (Hugh Grant, looking remarkably young) oversleeps on a morning when he’s supposed to be Best Man....The story is character-driven and relationship-based, and contains little more than four weddings and a funeral, not quite in that order. There's a mixture of sub-plots with Charles as the main character. Hugh Grant manages this part to perfection, and it's the role which guaranteed his later stardom.Other characters are rather more stereotyped. It didn’t matter too much, and the caricatured roles of some of Charles’ friends helped me to keep them separate in my mind. We particularly enjoyed the lively and highly eccentric Gareth (Simon Callow), and the cameo role for Rowan Atkinson as a new and very nervous priest.The one slight disappointment is Carrie (Andie McDowell), the romantic lead, who has little to recommend her other than her looks. She’s hardly a role model (being highly promiscuous, not to mention materialistic). The chemistry - and growing friendship - between her and Charles really doesn’t work.There’s a great deal of humour in the film, most of it understated but cleverly done. The comic timing is perfect. It makes the shocking parts stand out all the more; and the recital of a poem at the funeral is extremely moving. It makes an excellent point about love - real love - transcending all boundaries and cultural expectations.The 15 rating is still appropriate; the ‘strong’ language is there for effect, and it might well be down-rated to a 12 by today’s standards if that were all. But there are several rather overt scenes of intimacy; no nudity as such, but several scenes that lead little to the imagination. It’s rated R in the United States.Overall, we enjoyed it very much. I’d give it four and a half stars if such a thing were possible.

Funny British romantic comedy.

As I was watching late at night struggled to keep count of weddings - I did enjoy all but almost wanted a fifth wedding

This should be in everyone's collection even men like it, although they won't admit to it. Fantastic characters and one of the best opening lines ever. Old Floppy Hair (Hugh Grant)is brilliant with his usual stuttering, innocent persona and odd looking outfits. A brilliant cast of British actors all of which will have appeared in Casualty at some point. The only blip on the horizon is that Andi McDowell. What were they thinking? Can't act and certainly does not fit in with the rest of the film and indeed the other characters. Despite what the commercial says she certainly looks a sight lot older than everyone else and if I were Hugh I would have picked 'Duck Face'. Fortunately she does not spoil the film and you can easily fast forward the bits with her in and not miss anything vital or funny.The film revolves around Four Weddings and a Funeral, funnily enough and by far the Funeral is one of the best and most endearing scenes in the film. It certainly made a star of John Hannah (Sliding Doors, The Mummy and Casualty).if you ever have a full day of watching DVD's and stopping in bed, this is one to be included. Absolutely a 'feel good film'.

A favourite film of mine, which I can enjoy time and time again.