A delightful little rom-com that’s as unpredictable as it is entertaining, ‘Love Wedding Repeat’ reminds us that anything can happen at weddings—especially an extravagant one where everything must proceed flawlessly. The fun begins when we periscope in on the nuptials between Hayley (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Roberto (Tiziano Caputo), both eager to get hitched.
When Hayley’s brother Jack (Sam Claflin) is tasked to ensure that his sister’s wedding goes smoothly, things start to go south. Jack’s angry former girlfriend Amanda (Freida Pinto) shows up with boorish, arrested-development Chaz (Allan Mustafa). Seems Amanda can’t quite come to grips with Jack leaving her and Chaz expresses his jealousy in penis-envy confrontations with Jack.
Arriving fashionably late is Marc (Jack Farthing), an uninvited guest who not only shows up three-sheets to the wind but threatens to destroy Hayley’s happiest of days with a dreadful secret. To get rid of Marc, Hayley hatches a plan, which Jack executes with comically disastrous results. Let’s just say it’s musical chairs meets ‘Groundhog Day.’
Then there’s (yes, there’s more). Jack’s ‘the-girl-who-got-away’ Dina (Olivia Munn) arrives looking fabulous. But as Jack tries to reconnect with her, he’s forced to deal with two other problems. One of which is rescuing socially awkward friend Sidney (Tim Key) from embarrassing himself in front of various wedding guests (think Ricky Gervais on steroids). The other is Hayley’s maid of honor Bryan (Joel Fry), who accidentally falls victim to Jack’s ‘get rid of Marc’ plan, adding laughs and catastrophe to Hayley’s blessed event.
Directed and penned by Dean Craig, ‘Love Wedding Repeat’ offers a charming look at the entire nuptial experience. The brisk pacing moves things along quickly without laboring too hard on any one scene. There are some clichéd moments—like people going face-first into wedding cakes and cringe-worthy speeches. But the surprises are worth immersing yourself in this little indie. We’re constantly rooting for hapless Jack, who somehow bumbles through it all like Hugh Grant’s William Thacker in ‘Notting Hill.’ On the other side of this madcap see-saw, bright-eyed, hope-filled Hayley draws us into the joys and anguish of a wedding that often spins terribly out of control.
‘Love Wedding Repeat’ is available on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80227754
