Alice Eve has the kinda smile that could get her out of a speeding ticket. Too bad her smile is completely wasted in The Decoy Bride, a dull, trite comedy with a contrived setup that does nothing but exercise its right to be fluffy and forgettable escapism. I've come to that time in my short life of being a semi-professional film critic that I can almost identify when a film is exercising in its boundaries and when it's simply being lackadaisical and unambitious.
The Decoy Bride is frothy and dreary, wasting its perfectly nimble and bright cast, who I crave to watch in stronger material. The material concerns Lara Tyler (Alice Eve), a popular UK celebrity who simply wants to marry James Arber (David Tennant), her fiancée, without the paparazzi bothering her with their clicking cameras and gossip reporters. The two vacate to Hegg, a Scottish island, where they are quickly followed by the paparazzi, and a desperate team member of Lara's suggests they stage a wedding between James and some other girl to trick the paparazzi and give the couple some peace. Hegg native Katie (Kelly Macdonald) is hired to pretend to be Lara and winds up striking an, at first, contentious relationship with James, which later turns soft and forgiving, despite his insults and her comebacks.
As you can tell, we're in a very different setting, but we're experiencing pretty much the same clichés we can find back on the American market. The United Kingdom is known for their quirky sense of humor and unique brand of Television comedies, yet we see pretty much the same unforgivably bland trite we can watch on the Lifetime network or even ABC Family. The charming cast succumbs to some of the most wretched clichés on screen, and even David Tennant of people looks bored and uninterested in this failure of a project.
Surely if you're considering renting this film, whether it be off of Netflix or even from the local store, you could certainly find something more appealing and insightful from The Decoy Bride same genre. If you're looking for pleasant escapism, perhaps try the classic Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan endeavor You've Got Mail. Or if you want a fantastic genre-exercise, try Annie Hall, a delightful film by Woody Allen. There are dozens of better options and there is little time to view all of them. Why settle for The Decoy Bride? Starring: Kelly Macdonald, David Tennant, and Alice Eve. Directed by: Sheree Folkson.
The Decoy Bride is frothy and dreary, wasting its perfectly nimble and bright cast, who I crave to watch in stronger material. The material concerns Lara Tyler (Alice Eve), a popular UK celebrity who simply wants to marry James Arber (David Tennant), her fiancée, without the paparazzi bothering her with their clicking cameras and gossip reporters. The two vacate to Hegg, a Scottish island, where they are quickly followed by the paparazzi, and a desperate team member of Lara's suggests they stage a wedding between James and some other girl to trick the paparazzi and give the couple some peace. Hegg native Katie (Kelly Macdonald) is hired to pretend to be Lara and winds up striking an, at first, contentious relationship with James, which later turns soft and forgiving, despite his insults and her comebacks.
As you can tell, we're in a very different setting, but we're experiencing pretty much the same clichés we can find back on the American market. The United Kingdom is known for their quirky sense of humor and unique brand of Television comedies, yet we see pretty much the same unforgivably bland trite we can watch on the Lifetime network or even ABC Family. The charming cast succumbs to some of the most wretched clichés on screen, and even David Tennant of people looks bored and uninterested in this failure of a project.
Surely if you're considering renting this film, whether it be off of Netflix or even from the local store, you could certainly find something more appealing and insightful from The Decoy Bride same genre. If you're looking for pleasant escapism, perhaps try the classic Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan endeavor You've Got Mail. Or if you want a fantastic genre-exercise, try Annie Hall, a delightful film by Woody Allen. There are dozens of better options and there is little time to view all of them. Why settle for The Decoy Bride? Starring: Kelly Macdonald, David Tennant, and Alice Eve. Directed by: Sheree Folkson.