Son Of The Bride

Year: 2001

Grade: B+

Country: Argentina

Director: Campanella

Review

here’s another film i’m not likely to see ever again, but that’s not because it’s not good. it’s pretty similar to the barbarian invasions in tone and theme. it’s the kind of film you’ve seen plenty of times before, especially if you’re a middle-aged woman, but the film is able to go beyond that convention a bit. it’s a bit more stylish, a bit more well-drawn, it’s got better acting, better comic relief and it doesn’t ever have that “made for lifetime” feel to it; in other words, it’s genuine. even though it’s a middle-aged type of film it’s a film that most anyone can relate to because the feelings and experiences aren’t entirely specific. sure there are moments of parental regret which are no doubt more heartfelt by those who have had such regret, but everyone can relate the other side of that equation in some way and the film allows for that by developing the child’s character. i think that that’s part of the film’s strength – it has a good cast of well-developed characters and the writing is such that it’s open to interpretation. if you see the old couple and think about your great grandmother who had alzheimer’s (as i did), then you feel that portion of the story, or if you see the old couple as what could have been with your parents (as melanie probably did), then you empathize with that portion of the story; and the film does down the line like that with all the different relationships. best of all, though, is that the film didn’t take itself to seriously. the film never grew too maudlin or depressing, it had a sense of humor and balance that is present in life, but not always in dramatic pictures.

Watched on TV