Wedding Daze

Stars: Jason Biggs, Isla Fisher, Joe Pantoliano, Joanna Gleason, Margo Martindale, Edward Herrmann, Jay O Sanders. Heather Goldenhersh

Director: Michael Ian Black

The makers have a bright idea for a romantic comedy here - but they take it in the wrong direction. A year after his girlfriend dropped dead from a heart attack following his proposal dressed as Cupid, Anderson (Biggs) is told he must make at least one attempt to date again. On a whim, he proposes to a waitress at the diner, Katie (Fisher), who, to his amazement (and on the rebound from a near-engagement), says yes.

Now if the rest of the film had concentrated on Anderson and Katie and their up-and-down attempts to establish a viable relationship (remember Love With the Proper Stranger?), things might have turned out pretty well. But no. Lowbrow farce is the intent here, and the makers overload it with so many oddball - not to say ridiculous - characters as to drain all the potential humour.

The hero's mom and dad are freaks into bizarre sex games, while the heroine's mother, married to a very Jewish second husband, still yearns for her first, now serving time. In the latter role, Pantoliano has one of the film's few funny lines when he reminds Biggs to 'Take care of my little girl, 'cos if you don't they'll never find you.'

It's all another step on the downward path for Biggs after his American Pie successes, which this seeks vaguely to emulate, while his co-star seems equally unlikely to consolidate film stardom. Some good ideas drown under a Niagara of unfunny sex jokes: you've been warned.

David Quinlan

USA 2006. UK Distributor: Pathe. Colour by De Luxe.
92 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 30 May 2007