Danielle Solzman
Destination Wedding may offer what the title says but this film isn’t the romantic comedy that audiences are hoping for.
Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder star as Frank and Lindsay. The two have an awkward meet-cute while waiting for their flight to depart at the gate. From then on, it’s all downhill from there. Once they get on the place, they find themselves forced to sit next to each other because of course they do. This is where they learn that they’re both going to the same wedding.
We’re not even through the first half hour by the time we realize how much they hate to attend the wedding. If Frank’s half-brother wasn’t the one getting married, he sure as hell would not have made the trip. How the hell do you date someone, let alone get engaged, and not even take them to meet your family?!? I just have a hard time buying into this not wanting to meet the family. One must really hate their family to have not taken their fiance to meet the parents.
It gets worse when they learn they’ll be paired for much of the weekend’s activities. This also includes their sleeping arrangements at the bed and breakfast. At times, it feels like the two of them are using their forced time together to get to know one another. At other times, you can feel the tension growing louder between the two. Not the close together tension but the PLEASE GO AWAY type of tension. When they came face to face with a mountain lion, I was honestly rooting for the mountain lion to win if it would stop their frequent fighting.
I do love how they labeled some of the activities for the day. Those are sadly the best gags to enjoy about the film. I’d include them but they’d just ruin the surprise.
While starring two very likable stars with chemistry, this film may have been one of the most boring romantic comedies relationship stories I’ve seen. Upon looking at posters and such, I’d have thought it was a romantic comedy. Upon watching the full film, it was a complete let down. Blame the marketing if you will. If you’re going into this film expecting a rom-com, you’ll be disappointed to say the least. If I wanted to watch two people argue for close to 90 minutes, I’d be able to find a place without a problem. The problem with the film is that it’s really just the two actors for the entire running time.
Destination Wedding is the type of film that may work better as a short film or even a comedy sketch. For a full length feature film, it’s just a bit too much.
DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Victor Levin
CAST: Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves
