My Mother's Wedding (2023) || Movie Review

I think most people would agree that family relationships are among the most complex, yet also the most rewarding for those who are fortunate to be surrounded by understanding people. My Mother's Wedding (2023) is an interesting film that centers around family and all the dramas that come with it. The title got my interest and also, seeing that Scarlett Johansson is one of the lead actresses in the movie made me decide to watch it.

Directed by Kristin Scott Thomas and based on a screenplay by John Micklethwait, this movie stars Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham, Freida Pinto and others.

It focuses on three sisters living their separate lives who must return home for their mother's third wedding. She's been married twice and widowed. Katherine (Scarlett Johansson), a Royal Navy captain, is reluctant to attend the wedding because she can't get the memory of her late father out of her mind. She keeps insisting that her mother doesn't take her new husband's last name.

The eldest sister, Victoria (Sienna Miller), is a successful movie star, vivacious and happy for their mother. She's been married before and divorced and sees nothing wrong with their mother's decision. The youngest sister, Georgina (Emily Beecham), is a nurse and in support of the wedding but her attention is more on whether her husband is cheating or not. She hires a detective to handle it.

The mother's wedding forces the sisters to confront their idealised image of the fathers they lost and how it has affected their adult relationships. Will their mother go ahead with the wedding despite the reservations of Katherine?

My Review And Rating

This movie didn't turn out the way I expected. I hoped it would be more gripping, instead the slow pace and storytelling made it feel like a bit of a drag.

Though labeled a comedy drama, I didn't really see much of the comedy in this movie. It concentrates on the three daughters, memories of their late fathers and whether or not they are in support of their mother's wedding. So I'd say the plot is fine: a familiar family drama that some viewers may relate to but nothing remarkable.

The drama however is very present in almost every scene. The movie focuses on the physical and emotional effects of the wedding on the daughters and whether the mother realises these or not. The cartoonish scenes that act as Katherine's flashbacks are a fine touch to the story. It gives viewers an insight into Katherine's mind and the things she's dealing with. For the other sisters, their confrontations and outbursts are the clues that tells us they are struggling too.

I like that the director gave each of the daughters an equally decent amount of screen time. The focus was on their emotions and the effects on their relationships, family and romantic.

There are some subplots like the detective hired to investigate Georgina's husband that I feel distracts us from the central theme of the movie. It overshadows some parts of the main plot that I think the director should have explored. The sisters' have troubled relationships but the movie doesn't shine much light on these relationships and whether they would be resolved.

The acting is convincing. Scarlett Johansson and Sienna Miller are audacious actresses and they embodied their roles very well. The three sisters have great chemistry as siblings and their relationship with their mother is interesting to watch. Also, the cinematography is good. The visuals are colourful and okay.

Rating this movie, I’d give it 3 stars out of 5 mostly because of the acting. The plot is fine but I think the screenplay might be the reason for the drag or slow pace. I understand this is Kristin Scott Thomas’ directorial debut but the movie doesn't quite hit like I’d hoped. If you have seen this movie, let me know your thoughts.

All the images above are screenshots from the movie

Poster image source

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