Cheerful Weather for the Wedding *** (2012, Felicity Jones, Luke Treadaway, Elizabeth McGovern, James Norton) – Movie Review

It’s England one winter day between the wars and a lovely, posh young woman is about to be married — but something or rather somebody from her past is going to get in the way in this discreetly tasty Downton-style romantic comedy drama. You keep expecting delicious cucumber sandwiches to be served and it’s an awful swizz that no one actually does!

Felicity Jones plays Dolly Thatcham, who’s sitting upstairs in a right old state at her comfortably-off family’s country house. Downstairs with the rest of the amusingly oddball family, her rich, handsome but boring fiancé Owen (James Norton) and her ex-lover Joseph (Luke Treadaway) are getting more and more steamed up, while her constantly pained-looking mother Mrs Thatcham (Elizabeth McGovern) finally looks ready to burst a boiler as it turns out Joseph’s old flame is still burning bright for Dolly.

This is fine, cosy old-style entertainment, warm, humorous and gentle but with just the smallest touch of edge. With a very nice little script to work on, the actors are more or less perfect. Wholly credible as ex-lovers and inhabitants of a long-lost world, Jones and Treadaway really capture the old style of speaking and feeling, McGovern is deliciously overwrought and Ellie Kendrick is strong in support as Dolly’s younger sister Kitty. Fenella Woolgar and Mackenzie Crook raise solid laughs as a bickering married couple whose young son is letting off stink bombs, Barbara Flynn’s a bit of a hoot as a silly but sexy old auntie and Joanna Hole is funny as an old maid.

This is a minor, low-budget Brit effort directed and co-written by Donald Rice (son of Tim). But, with the settings, costumes, score and photography so lovingly achieved, it’s surprisingly classy and even memorable. Fans of wedding films and stories of English eccentrics won’t feel short changed. There’s even a little hint of Brief Encounter about it as Treadaway manages his final speech beautifully.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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