Four Weddings and a FuneralFour Weddings and a Funeral
The champagne is flowingand so is the funin this “delightful and sly” (Roger Ebert) romantic comedy about two people who belong together but just can’t seem to tie the knot. Ushering in two Academy AwardÂ(r) nominations*, and starring Hugh Grant (Notting Hill), Andie MacDowell (Michael) and a superb ensemble cast that includes OscarÂ(r) nominee** Kristin Scott Thomas, Four Weddings and a Funeral is truly “a very special occasion” (Rolling Stone)! Charlie (Grant) is always the best man but nev
Rating:  List Price: $ 14.98 Price: $ 4.30 South Central
When a respected gang member gets out of prison, he focuses his attention on becoming a good example for his 10-year-old son who has already followed in his father’s old footsteps by joining a gang.
Rating: List Price: $ 9.98 Price: $ 3.98 |
(out of 126 reviews)
Review by Tsuyoshi for Four Weddings and a Funeral
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“Four Weddings and a Funeral” may not be the greatest movie in the history, but it surely is the best modern romantic comedy I ever saw. The only film that can possibly surpass this delightful one is, perhaps, “When Harry Met Sally …” Maybe tied.Hugh Grant has starred in many films since then, but his best role is still Charles of this film, who unwittingly finds his love in Carrie, an open-hearted American played by beautiful Andie MacDowell at his friend’s wedding. One miatake is, he foolishly couldn’t realize it before he let her go after one-night stand. But as the number of ceremony goes up (including one funeral), he gradually comes to notice that he threw away the best thing in his life. And while he is wondering what to do, friends around him start to search for their real love, including his own brother David, his timid friend Tom, Tom’s sister Fiona, and Charles’s eccentric roommate Scarlet. But where should Charles go? Going back to his countless ex-girlfriends? Or, Carrie? But she got already married. To be honest, a little abrupt ending of the film damages an entire movie’s strength a bit, but all comedies have to pay the price to end the show within an appointed hour. What is incredibly splendid about “Four Weddings” is that the characters are all so lively and sparkling with witty dialogue that you think they are not acting at all. Actually, on top of Hugh Grant, many actors are still associated with the roles in this film even if they got more populality after this film; Kristin Scott Thomas is later to be nominated Oscar for her turn in “English Patient,” but she will be remembered as deliciously aristocratic Fiona. John Hannah made his name popular through the Hollywood blockbuster series of “Mummy,” but still he is kind-hearted Matthew to those who have seen him recite W H Auden (most touching moment) in “Four Weddings.” This is that kind of film that changes the cast’s life. It happens once in your lifetime.With this great ensemble cast, we have fantastic script by Richard Curtis, filled with funny lines uttered by completely believable characters. He does not fail to take great care of minor characters, and give them equally good moments. Look how Serena, in love with handsome David who is hearing impaired, learns sign. Trying to impress him, she mixes up “nice” with “mice,” but, you know, when boys and girls are in love. nothing can stop them from understanding each other. Cute.Brilliantly written, “Four Weddings” is a superb model of romantic comedy. If you like this type of movie, you surely will fall in love with it; and if you’re not, your mind will be changed just like mine (I didn’t expected much from it, so I didn’t go to theater until the last day). And the film never forgets the sad side of life as the title implies. Sad thing is one of the cast Charlotte Coleman, who played most unconventional bridesmaid Scarlett, has passed away recently. She is terrific.
Review by for Four Weddings and a Funeral
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This film starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell was quite a popular hit when released in theatres and was nominated for Oscars. The characters are well developed and the supporting cast is terrific. There are many great one-liners and the accompanying music is enjoyable. I consider this movie one of the best romantic comedies of the 90s. However, MGM has only occassionally produced outstanding DVDs. Unfortunately, this DVD has some artifacts, pixelation, and bare bones content. I was disappointed in the visual and sound quality for a film made so recently (within the last ten years). I would recommend this DVD only if you are a big fan of this film or don’t demand quality and rich content in your DVDs.
Review by Morris for Four Weddings and a Funeral
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This was a very good movie. Hugh Grant is charming and funny in a clumsy way. Andie MacDowell is cute and charming as well. The cast as a whole is terrific. I recommend this movie to all. The DVD on the other hand, was very poor. I have watched a lot of DVDs in the past year and this was one of the worst. I felt like I was watching a VHS tape. The picture was very bland and the colors were muted. I know the English are pale, but this DVD transfer did not do them any justice. On top of the poor video quality, the sound was just as awful. The volume was very low, and jumpy at times. The dialog at times didn’t come through clearly and there was no use of the surround channels. This movie could use a thorough update to the entire pakage. A new video transfer, a new audio 5.1 channel mix and some extras would have made this a top DVD. Instead MGM decided to skip all the goodies technology has to offer to keep the price of this DVD down. Too Bad, Its a Great Movie.
Review by Myron Isaacs for Four Weddings and a Funeral
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As a movie I will rate it 4 stars, but the video quality is very bad, lot of artifacts, blury images, MGM transfer is really a big disappointment.
Review by David Montgomery for Four Weddings and a Funeral
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This utterly charming, little British film took me completely by surprise the first time I saw it. I did not know what to expect going in, but I quickly found myself falling completely in love with it.The plot is structured around the five events mentioned in the title. A magnificent group of seven dear friends attends a string of weddings, none of them, unfortunately, involving any of the principles. Our focus is on Charles (Hugh Grant), a devilishly handsome man who is completely incapable of committing to marriage. He is, as an ex-girlfriend describes him, a “serial monogamist.”There is some hope, however, that that might change when Charles meets Carrie (Andie MacDowell), a beautiful American woman. He falls in love with her, and we suspect she might love him, too, but instead she gets engaged to Hamish (Corin Redgrave), a boring, but rich man, twice her age. Our hearts break along with Charles’ because we know that she is making a mistake. He is too disappointed, though, and too afraid to do anything about it.There is something so pleasing about friendship in a movie. When it is done right, as it is here, it involves the audience in a way that most stories cannot. While watching this film, I could not help but wish that I knew them all better. Who wouldn’t want a group of such trusted and wonderful friends? Because we like them, and because we feel we know them so well, the events in the film aren’t just happening to somebody else. They are happening to us as well. That is why “Four Weddings” is so touching and so moving.The acting is nothing short of brilliant, especially the work done by Hugh Grant. Not since Cary Grant has an actor displayed such suave, British charm and natural good looks. He is a delight to watch and, no doubt, has an excellent future ahead for himself. Andie MacDowell is equally enchanting. She has never appeared as lovely in a movie before as she does here.The screenplay by Richard Curtis is extremely well written. The scenes have the ring of truth to them; the characters feel as real as anyone we know. The writing always hits just the right note, striking a delicate balance between moments of great humor and romance, as well as deep sadness.Mike Newell’s direction is fine, never distracting us the center of the film: the characters and their words. At the same time, there are moments of inspired visual artistry. The sight of Charles arriving late for Carrie’s wedding, standing alone in a broad, Scottish moor, is touchingly sad. Even better is the funeral chapel, stranded in a bleak, industrial wasteland, overlooking the dull, gray Thames. It is a very evocative and poignant moment.I do not want to give the impression that this is a sad film because it is not. At times it is rather hilarious, the romance is always enticing, and it does have a happy, if unexpected, ending. More importantly, all of its emotions are genuinely earned. “Four Weddings and a Funeral” is one of the most delightful films I have seen in a long time.
Review by Kalie A. Gipson for South Central
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When you think about it, many ‘hood movies dropped around the early 90′s, like “Boyz N The Hood”, “New Jack City”, “Menace II Society” etc. All of these got the recognition they deserved, and they have all stood the test of time, as all of them are over 10 years old. However, there is one movie that didn’t get the recognition and publicity that it should have. This is the 1991 “South Central”. South Central is a great hood movie with a different twist to it than the others I mentioned. It is also very touching in certain places. It takes place in Los Angelas just like almost all these other hood movies so that’s no surprise.
The movie starts off with a young Bobby Johnson getting out of jail. After fighting with a local drug-dealer over his girlfriend, he kills the drug-dealer who’s name is Genie Lamp. He lays low for a few months, then he decides to ride out with a few other members of the Deuce gang, which he is part of. They pick up an undercover cop along the way, and she busts them for possession. While the newly proclaimed “OG” Bobby Johnson is being interrogated by the police, his fingerprints match the prints on the silencer and the gun he used to kill Genie Lamp. He takes the blame for everything and doesn’t drop any names of the other members of the Deuce gang. Due to that he has to serve a decade in prison. There he finds from Loco, and old Deuce friend, that his own son was becoming a Deuce and that he was stealing stereos for Ray Ray, the leader of the Deuce gang. The rest of the movie is centered around Bobby trying to get his son out of the gang life and keeping him from making the same mistakes he did. Can Bobby convince his son that being in a gang is not worth the price you pay? Or is it too late for Jimmie (His son’s name) to get out of his lifestyle?
The acting is OK, but not too memorable. Glenn Plummer, who also played Parnell is Menace II Society, did an excellent job as OG Bobby Johnson. Christian Coleman as Jimmie “J-Rock” Johnson did an exceptional job for a child actor, but at times it seems as if he kinda overacts a lil bit. At some scenes he’s a little bit too enthusiastic with his dialogue (I don’t know maybe they wanted it to be like that). Larita Shelby as Bobby’s girlfriend Carol was exceptional as well, but she kinda overacted too. However, at the parts where she was messed up on PCP and at the times when she was pissed the acting came through quite well. Byron Minns did a great job as Ray Ray. I feel he captured the character pretty well. Overall I’d say the acting was decent, I’ve seen better but I’ve definitely seen worse.
So, I’d say if you’re a fan of hood movies or gangster movies this would appeal to you. Don’t expect the greatness of Juice or Boyz or Menace though. But this is highly entertaining and definitely worth a rent, and even a buy because you can probably buy it very cheap now (I bought it at my local Best Buy for 5.99). Now that I think about it though, you probably won’t find it in video stores, so I’d say find a month when it’s coming on BET to see if you like it. BET plays it from time to time. I would check it out if these types of movies interest you. It’s good for its genre. 4 Stars.
Review by Zack for South Central
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South Central is one of the premier hood based movies. It is about the start of a california based gang called the Deuces which I believe later becomes the Crips. But what it’s really about is one man’s struggle to get out of the gagsta life and to bring his son out of the hood. South Central is not as gorey as Menace II Society, so even older adults will like it, but it is still a great movie for teenagers and 20 year olds as well. My mother, brother, all of my brother’s friends, and I loved this movie and I recommend it for anyone.
Review by for South Central
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This adaptation of Donald Bakeer’s novel, “South Central L.A. Crips”, showed the human side of L.A. gang members (Crips) thru Glen Plummer’s memorable portrayal of an O.G. (original) Crip who came back from prison to save his son from a similar fate. The last scene is one of the best in all of black film making. This, the first portrayal of the human side of Crips, fulfilled “Variety’s” prediction that it would save lives. South Central which debuted soon after the L.A. Uprising (7/92) had a great impact on L.A. gang and would-be gang members. It and Bakeer’s novel are a must for anyone who seriously studies the gang wars that killed thousands of youths in America during the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s.
Review by MICHAEL TAYLOR for South Central
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A GANG MEMBER [GLENN PLUMMER] ENDS UP IN JAIL FOR A DECADE. AFTER CHANGING HIS WAYS IN JAIL, HE GETS PAROLED AND NOW HE MUST STOP HIS SON FROM MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES HE MADE. NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS ”BOYZ N THE HOOD” OR ”MENACE II SOCIETY’, BUT IT’S AN OK HOOD MOVIE. GLENN PLUMMER DOES A GOOD JOB PORTRAYING THE REFORMED GANG MEMBER IN THIS MOVIE. IT’S WORTH A WATCH. FANS OF HOOD MOVIES SHOULD LIKE THIS.
Review by KRISESSEX@AOL.COM for South Central
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For once we actually see a convicted gangbanger reformed.South Central sucessfully shows how a neglected teen thrust into a life of gangs and drugs, is convicted and sent to prison, and there radically changed into a productive and caring father. It’s a rarity to see something positive come out of these type of films so focused on the negative aspects. South Central successfully proves that if people want to change their lifestyle they can. A “must see” for all those wanna be “hard” folks, and those who think they can never change paths.