The Wedding Party
Directed by Dominique Deruddere
Danger After Dark

While The Wedding Party is easiest described as a comedy, it certainly would fall into the black comedy category. Armed with violence, a hilarious cast, and a dramatic edge when needed, this German film packs a lot of punch and throws in numerous laughs along the way. Unlike many American comedies this isn't all low brow jokes and no substance. Sure there are some perverted jokes along the way, but this has a sharp wit sorely missing from most US comedy films these days.

The story revolves around a wedding, pretty hard to imagine I suppose given the title of the film. After the wedding, the family makes their way to the dinner which is being held at a hotel out in the countryside. It just so happens that the father of the groom has made numerous attempts to purchase the hotel but the owner has always turned down his offer. Diner starts without a hitch, but when a member of the wedding party says that the shrimp seems off, the father and the owner begin to argue which leads to the entire wedding party storming off without paying the bill. The problem is that the bride and the groom's mother are both still in the hotel and the owner has locked the gate.

What follows is what can only be described as a war. Things really get ugly when the grandfather of the groom accidentally blows up a guest at the hotels car with a grenade that he assumed was defused. Bullets fly throughout the film and characters are accidentally shot numerous times throughout. The film has a violent tone at times, and while the film is light hearted, it certainly has its dark moments as well. The father of the groom is a rich man who doesn't know the meaning of the word no so he incessantly pursues trying to get through the gates without stopping to think.

The ending is certainly not to be missed and just when things have reached their peak it comes to a screeching halt. One thing is for certain this isnt the wedding they had planned and it certainly will not be one that is forgotten any time soon. This is a dark and comedic film that succeeds due to impeccable comic timing, bumbling violence and an excellent supporting cast.

Despite this being a subtitled film the comedy still translates well. Funny is funny no matter what the language happens to be. I'm not quite sure if an English dubbed version would have had as much impact. I've read that a remake is in the works to be called Blood Wedding. To me it seems a bit unnecessary as there is absolutely nothing wrong with the film as it is. Are North American audiences so lazy that instead of wanting to read subtitles any foreign language film has to be remade before we take notice?

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