Confetti (2006) starring Martin Freeman, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Meredith MacNeill, Robert Webb, Olivia Colman, Vincent Franklin, Jason Watkins, Felicity Montagu, Jimmy Carr directed by Debbie Isitt Movie Review

Confetti (2006)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Olivia Colman and Robert Webb in Confetti

Isitt's Wedding Time

Any movie which features a couple of naturists competing for a "most original Wedding" competition is a little brave especially when the naturists played by Robert Webb and Olivia Colman spend well over half of the movie completely naked. But sadly that ends up the only brave thing about "Confetti" a mockumentary which along with the naturists sees two more couples trying to win the competition with a Tennis themed wedding and also a Musical themed wedding. The thing is that being a mockumentary you automatically compare it to "Spinal Tap" and in comparison "Confetti" ends up coming up short as whilst an amusing idea it ends up remarkably dull. It actually starts well as it sets up the idea of the competition and introduces us to all the important people but then it doesn't really going anywhere till eventually we get the weddings.

To be honest I am not the greatest fan of mockumentaries, I liked "Spinal Tap" but didn't go crazy for it and as such part of me felt like I wouldn't enjoy "Confetti" even before I watched it. Ironically I actually found the set up enjoyable from meeting Jimmy Carr who plays Antony the owner of Confetti magazine through to the various couples as we learn what their theme weddings will be. It is totally stupid as we have the competitive couple who want a Tennis themed wedding, the relatively normal almost timid couple who want a Musical themed wedding and of the course the naturists who want to get married naked. But it is amusing and quite sharp as it sets up these various scenarios whilst also introducing us to the wedding planners who as a gay couple are one big cliche.

Stephen Mangan and Meredith MacNeill in Confetti

But sadly once the set up is out of the way "Confetti" starts to struggle as the focus almost shifts to the wedding planners who have just a few weeks to try and set up each couples ideal wedding. Being a mockumentary it tries to show the stresses and strains of getting married and as such we watch the couples end up arguing as things don't run smoothly and other people impose their ideas. Plus at the same time you have the interference of the magazine who try to manufacture the weddings to what they want so they can pick the winners that are best for the cover of their magazine. The thing is that during this you end up disliking all of the couples as well as the magazines editors as there is nothing endearing about any of them. You end up not caring whether or not the naturists get married in the buff or the competitive tennis players win as these characters end up bordering on vile. In the end you end up sympathising with the wedding planners more than anyone else as they try to appease one and all.

Sadly this means that when after most of the movie has focussed on the stresses and strains we finally get to the actual weddings you no longer care. And it's a shame as each of the weddings end up being quite amusing affairs, totally over the top and absolutely stupid but still quite amusing. But unfortunately even then it goes wrong because it is dragged out and delivers a supposedly amusing follow up after the weddings which ends up seriously cheesy.

Of course with "Confetti" being a mockumentary the acting is intentionally raw as it tries to come across as being spontaneous and for the most it does feel raw and spontaneous. You could say it feels a little too raw because at times the hesitancy of the dialogue feels more forced than natural. But it is also enjoyable from Jimmy Carr as the magazine owner through to Martin Freeman who plays one half of the couple who want a musical wedding. In fact alongside Carr and Freeman there is a lot of British talent on show from the likes of Stephen Mangan, Jason Watkins and Jessica Hynes as well as Robert Webb and Olivia Colman who you have to say were brave to take on the role of the naturist couple.

What this all boils down to is that "Confetti" ends up a misfiring mockumentary which starts well, sort of ends well but ends up losing you during the dragged out middle section. It just seems to struggle to keep focus as the attention shifts from the couples to the wedding planners who find themselves trying to appease everyone and sadly it has the knock on effect of alienating us from the couples. It is memorable but more for Robert Webb and Olivia Colman appearing naked for most of the movie rather than for being entertaining.

Tags: British Romantic Comedies


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