A story centered on a mysterious British Muslim man (Dev Patel) on his journey across Pakistan and India.
British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom is not only famous for arguably the best surname in the industry – he also happens to be known for his range. And by that, I mean his films range from off-kilter masterpieces (“24 Hour Party People,” “Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story”) to head-scratching oddities (“9 Songs,” “The Killer Inside Me”). What he is most certainly not known for is by-the-numbers fare (though the Angelina Jolie vehicle “A Mighty Heart” came mighty close) – up until now, that is. I tried and tried to find traces of the usual unexpected left turns, surprising side-tracks, witty and/or existential banter, along with other signs of the auteur, in “The Wedding Guest” but alas, apart from a few tense sequences and its two committed leads, the film is just a conventional thriller, albeit seen through indie lens.
Dev Patel plays Jay, a man on a very serious mission, exemplified by his very serious facial expressions. We follow him through Pakistan as he purchases guns, duct tape and other items that indicate he’s up to no good. Indeed, next thing we know, Jay kidnaps bride-to-be Samira (Radhika Apte), killing one of her henchmen in the process – only she’d rather be kidnapped than get married. With Jay all over the news, the man who hired him may not be so willing to pay him – which leads to further pseudo-Hitchcockian plot complications I won’t unravel here. Let’s just say, somehow this film ends up being both dull and convoluted, with our (anti)heroes going all “Bonnie and Clyde.”
Winterbottom’s approach is minimalist: not much is spoken, with long instances of us following Jay and Samira ride different kinds of transportation through Pakistan and India. At 95 minutes, “The Wedding Guest’ feels endless. I’ll give Winterbottom points for a visual depiction of those countries that avoids glamorization – the traffic of the overpopulated Dheli is as palpable as the idyllic-yet-raw beauty of Goa. Spurts of violence punctuate the narrative, but everything is curiously muted, like its hero, leaving you feeling hollow. Good thing the actors transcend their characters, whose backgrounds remain mysterious until the end, letting shimmers of warmth peek through the blankness.
This being Winterbottom, there are still moments of beauty, such as when our lovebirds embrace against a backdrop of endless building exoskeletons, drenched in a mandarin sunset. Perhaps the filmmaker is making a statement about identity and how crossing borders forces one to morph into a different person. Maybe he’s touching upon themes of humanity, our humanity and our kindness, and how they’re needed in those tumultuous times. Or he could’ve just felt the need to produce, write and direct a straightforward thriller, Winterbottom-style. If so, he definitely succeeded with the “straightforward” bit.
Opens Friday, March 15th at the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas and the Angelika Film Center in Plano
