Destination Wedding: Film Review
When I think of Keanu Reeves I picture him in action films like John Wick and The Matrix so it was a surprising but refreshing change to see him take on a romcom with Destination Wedding, in which he reunites with his frequent co-star Winona Ryder.
He stars as Frank, who is reluctantly attending his brother’s wedding in San Luis Obispo. He hates weddings, he doesn’t have a good relationship with his family and he doesn’t really want to be there. Misery loves company and so he forms a bond with Lindsay (Ryder), his brother’s ex-fiancee, who is attending to prove she’s the bigger person. Their common hatred of the wedding and the wedding party and most aspects of life leads to an unlikely romance.
This romcom is amusing at times but average and forgettable. It is very dialogue-heavy and the film is basically just a series of scenes of them chatting back and forth about their (generally negative) opinions on things. Their exchanges were pretty dynamic and watchable, but while some conversations felt well-observed and witty, others didn’t strike me as realistic at all. For example, the first encounter at the airport didn’t work – it was trying too hard to establish a witty banter/repartee between them and wasn’t quirky or funny at all.
The characters I know Reeves for aren’t very chatty, so it felt strange seeing him talk so much. Frank really does love to talk and he has an opinion on everything and it’s generally negative. I didn’t really believe that Lindsay could fall for someone like him because he is so miserable and forever trying to clear mucus/phlegm (gross). Reeves seemed to be completely dead behind the eyes too and I don’t know if that was a character choice or not, but either way, it seemed a bit wooden. Lindsay is mostly shrill, neurotic and still hung up on her ex, so I can’t imagine them working as a couple and I didn’t really want them to be together at the end. Their chemistry wasn’t exactly jumping off the screen, but I guess they were sort of reluctant lovers, so maybe that was the point? Although I must say that their sex scene is the highlight of the film and I was laughing my head off at it.
Destination Wedding is an amusing and pleasant watch, which is helped by its jaunty, light-hearted score. It was predictable and forgettable and not always realistic but I was mildly entertained and it made me smile.
In selected cinemas from Friday 10th May