Movie Description
British actor Martin Freeman first came to the public's attention with his turn as the jaded and smitten Tim in Ricky Gervais's television mockumentary THE OFFICE. Freeman returns to the mockumentary format for CONFETTI, taking a leading role alongside a host of British actors, many of whom are also making the transition from television to the big screen. The film revolves around three couples who have reached the final stages of a magazine competition to find the most unique and originally themed wedding; the prize is a multimillion dollar house. Jessica Stevenson from Britcom SPACED plays Freeman's other half, and their rivals are a tennis-obsessed couple played by Stephen Mangan (from dark comedy show GREEN WING) and Meredith MacNeill (MAN STROKE WOMAN), and a naturist duo brought to life by Robert Webb and Olivier Colman (who are both from BBC America's excellent PEEP SHOW).
Director Debbie Isitt calls on her talented cast to improvise their dialogue throughout, veering close to Christopher Guest (BEST IN SHOW) territory at times. CONFETTI never quite manages to reach the effortless comic highs Guest's well-practiced troupe often attain, and the film ends up laying somewhere in-between traditional wedding farces like FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and the awkward comedy of Larry David's CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. This is no bad place to be of course, and avid anglophiles will be delighted to see a veritable who's who of British comedy filling out the cast, with Jimmy Carr (who Comedy Central viewers may recognize from his show DISTRACTION) and Felicity Monatgu (NIGHTY NIGHT) playing the two editors of the magazine, while smaller roles are taken by Julia Davis (NIGHTY NIGHT) and Mark Heap (BIG TRAIN). Ultimately CONFETTI is perfect fodder for a rainy afternoon spent in need of a few belly laughs, but hopefully it won't inspire too many people to get married in the nude.
| Credits | | Producer: | Ian Benson, Ian Flooks | | Cast: | Alison Steadman, Mark Heap, Meredith MacNeill |
Editorial Reviews
4 stars out of 5 -- "The film has a rough-edged, held-together-with-gaffer-tape charm....Engaging and clever."
Uncut - Michael Bonner (05/01/2006)
"The gradual, and subtle, accumulation of character detail allows for some genuinely touching moments, gifting the movie a momentum of unforced charm."
Sight and Sound - Edward Lawrenson (05/01/2006)
3 stars out of 5 -- "The end result certainly tickles the funny bone."
Total Film - Neil Smith (09/01/2006)
"[T]his winning pageant of gaudy bad taste is the work of some of the U.K.'s most popular comedy performers." -- Grade: B
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (09/22/2006)
3 stars out of 5 -- "[With] an amusing and appealing ensemble....CONFETTI is simply good fun, kind and caring at heart even when relationships get nasty as tension mounts."
Box Office - Bridget Byrne (10/01/2006)
3 stars out of 5 -- "What is most impressive about CONFETTI is its spontaneity and effortless humour, achieved through the film being entirely improvised."
Ultimate DVD - Natalie Braine (10/01/2006)
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