This is a romantic film that consists of perfection and magic, and I don't mean that in a good way. You can forget about humor or substance. I checked out after a painfully dull beginning to watch a documentary, only to come back and find that I hadn't missed a thing.
So let's start with the perfection. Two platinum blond, immaculately dressed German Stepford sisters are sailing on a cruise ship straight into the Nevada desert in order for one of them to get married in Las Vegas, where their mother lives. The sisters are well-formed, but not attractive, since they lack any semblance of personality. Their matching boyfriends accompany them. And yes, you heard right. They are on a cruise ship, and they sail all the way to a lovely CGI Las Vegas.
How do I know it's CGI? Because Las Vegas, though sporting all the familiar buildings and signs, looks absolutely pristine, freshly painted in blinding white and pastel colors. Gone are the t-shirt clad masses. Gone are the sweeping parking lots, and the streets are mostly devoid of cars. The few people we encounter are apparently all upper crust, and their few cars have just rolled out of the dealership. And where are all the people of color? (Well, to be fair, I did miss that hour in the middle). After adding a very pale blue sky, the effect is somehow more reminiscent of a northern harbor than a sweltering Nevada city. Perhaps to accommodate the cruise ship.
The last act does contain some magic. By that I don't mean charm, but the abracadabra sort. It seemed gratuitous, stuck in there just for the heck of it, but hey, I did miss that middle of the movie.
So let's summarize. All fluff and polish, and no substance. I'd call it a fairy tale, but it has no charm and no moral. It's more like watching Paris Hilton put on make-up, except emptier.
I've seen (bits of) many such movies, romances in particular, coming out of the German studios. Glitzy, sterile, empty. They seem to churn them out as fast as Hollywood churns out reality shows. Frankly, I'd rather watch the reality shows, because at least they show signs of life.
So let's start with the perfection. Two platinum blond, immaculately dressed German Stepford sisters are sailing on a cruise ship straight into the Nevada desert in order for one of them to get married in Las Vegas, where their mother lives. The sisters are well-formed, but not attractive, since they lack any semblance of personality. Their matching boyfriends accompany them. And yes, you heard right. They are on a cruise ship, and they sail all the way to a lovely CGI Las Vegas.
How do I know it's CGI? Because Las Vegas, though sporting all the familiar buildings and signs, looks absolutely pristine, freshly painted in blinding white and pastel colors. Gone are the t-shirt clad masses. Gone are the sweeping parking lots, and the streets are mostly devoid of cars. The few people we encounter are apparently all upper crust, and their few cars have just rolled out of the dealership. And where are all the people of color? (Well, to be fair, I did miss that hour in the middle). After adding a very pale blue sky, the effect is somehow more reminiscent of a northern harbor than a sweltering Nevada city. Perhaps to accommodate the cruise ship.
The last act does contain some magic. By that I don't mean charm, but the abracadabra sort. It seemed gratuitous, stuck in there just for the heck of it, but hey, I did miss that middle of the movie.
So let's summarize. All fluff and polish, and no substance. I'd call it a fairy tale, but it has no charm and no moral. It's more like watching Paris Hilton put on make-up, except emptier.
I've seen (bits of) many such movies, romances in particular, coming out of the German studios. Glitzy, sterile, empty. They seem to churn them out as fast as Hollywood churns out reality shows. Frankly, I'd rather watch the reality shows, because at least they show signs of life.
