Review for "Kiss the Bride" (2007 movie) Come into "Kiss the Bride" expecting a big gay romance or even a gay version of "My Best Friend's Wedding" and you're going to be disappointed. Watch it with an eye for some great one-liners (the car rental agent!), a surprisingly insightful look at relationships, and an appreciation for deep, platonic relationships and you might have a chance of liking it.
The premise: Matt (Phillip Karner) receives a wedding invitation from his long-lost, high school best friend (and first love), Ryan (James O'Shea). Imagine his shock when it turns out that Ryan's fiancé is a woman! Just how did the guy who taught Matt how to, er, orally pleasure a man (by example) end up with a woman? So of course Matt must return to his rural hometown to save Ryan from his marriage and their mutual hometown.
Already sounds like a carbon copy, right? Don't pass on this film just yet. Central to this story is the question of what 'I love you' really means and why we can't ever divorce ourselves from our history (and, really, why we shouldn't).
Over the course of the movie, we see groom-to-be Ryan and his fiancée, bride-to-be Alex (Tori Spelling) have a great, playful chemistry. Tori Spelling and James O'Shea did a good job of portraying a comfortably warm, affectionate couple that are together for the long-haul (only anxious about the wedding itself). The answer to why marriage makes them so anxious is neatly answered in a speech towards the end of the movie, which some viewers might not like (personally, I like the dramatic realization/speech delivery in this movie. Tori Spelling did a great job there and voiced a thought that I think many people have when it comes to marriage).
It is, however, the relationship between our two lead men that really drew me in. The two actors do a great job portraying the deep, deep affection (dare I say love?) that's still between the two men. I can't say too much without revealing too much, but I am proud of Ryan's character for being proud to call Matt his "first love...first everything." That their connection is transcended the normal boundaries of friendship spoke true to me.
I'll admit I'm a sucker for friendships that just go above and beyond, but I think the actors did a great job here. If that type of relationship appeals to you, then I think you'll enjoy this film quite a bit.
The premise: Matt (Phillip Karner) receives a wedding invitation from his long-lost, high school best friend (and first love), Ryan (James O'Shea). Imagine his shock when it turns out that Ryan's fiancé is a woman! Just how did the guy who taught Matt how to, er, orally pleasure a man (by example) end up with a woman? So of course Matt must return to his rural hometown to save Ryan from his marriage and their mutual hometown.
Already sounds like a carbon copy, right? Don't pass on this film just yet. Central to this story is the question of what 'I love you' really means and why we can't ever divorce ourselves from our history (and, really, why we shouldn't).
Over the course of the movie, we see groom-to-be Ryan and his fiancée, bride-to-be Alex (Tori Spelling) have a great, playful chemistry. Tori Spelling and James O'Shea did a good job of portraying a comfortably warm, affectionate couple that are together for the long-haul (only anxious about the wedding itself). The answer to why marriage makes them so anxious is neatly answered in a speech towards the end of the movie, which some viewers might not like (personally, I like the dramatic realization/speech delivery in this movie. Tori Spelling did a great job there and voiced a thought that I think many people have when it comes to marriage).
It is, however, the relationship between our two lead men that really drew me in. The two actors do a great job portraying the deep, deep affection (dare I say love?) that's still between the two men. I can't say too much without revealing too much, but I am proud of Ryan's character for being proud to call Matt his "first love...first everything." That their connection is transcended the normal boundaries of friendship spoke true to me.
I'll admit I'm a sucker for friendships that just go above and beyond, but I think the actors did a great job here. If that type of relationship appeals to you, then I think you'll enjoy this film quite a bit.