Christophe Honore's ORANGE FLAVORED WEDDING may end up being considered a classic. I'm not going to say it is until I see it another time or two, but despite its flaws, it is a hell of an achievement that showcases a family over the course of a wedding day
Actually the day is specific, March 11 1978. Its the day that singer Claude Francois (he wrote the song that became My Way, Comme D'Habitude) died. Its an event that alters the tone of the joyous wedding. The film follows the friends and family of the bride and groom over the course of the day. Its a film with, according to what I've read, 16 main characters and dozens of secondary ones, all of who feel real and fully developed. There are alot of people and events happening and things get lost.
Most of this film is on target and as good a film as you are likely to see all year. The cast is note perfect and should be up for any and all ensemble awards. In an age where we are getting films that are set in the 1970's but feel like dress up, this film feels like it was made in the 1970's. I don't care that I know some of the cast and they weren't born then, the truth is they had dopplgangers and this film was made with them back in 78.
I largely fell into this film from the first frames and stayed there until the end. It is a film that is so close to being on my best of the year list, but I need to decide how I feel about a couple of things.
The first problem is that there is way too much going on. This feels like there should be another hour to get in all the tidbits. I won't say there is anything wrong with what is here but there are more than a few times where things are brought forward and then let go. Its as if the film brought them up to give characters something to discuss before its dropped. That would be fine except that Honore frames the discussions as if it will be important, even though it isn't.
The other problem is there are a couple of time jumps that reveal what happens in the future. I'm not certain we need them. They feel out of place, not so much because for what they show (though one is a headscratcher) but because they break the flow of the drama. They feel like an out of place punchline to a joke no one told. They don't really hurt the film so much as scuff it up.
Over all this is a great film. Its a hell of a tale, like being with family at a function but in a good way.
Destined for a long life - I'm guessing this will be at later fests around the globe, (with it probably stopping in NYC at NYFF, and if not Rendezvous With French Cinema)
Highly recommended.
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