Before I watch films, I often check out the IMDb page for the movie just to get some background information. Well, there wasn't much on the Dutch film Toscaanse Bruiloft but what really made me laugh was the summary. Instead of the usual lengthy paragraph explaining the theme of the film, it simply said "A bunch of people get married in Tuscany"! Well, there is more to it than that
.but not that much more! While this was a very good looking film, it lacked depth and plot. So, perhaps the amazingly brief summary wasn't so far off after all.
This film is set in Tuscany at a bed & breakfast that specializes in weddings. The owners are Dutch and their patrons, oddly, all seem to all be Dutch. It's owned by Tom and Marla. Tom's daughter, Sanne is in charge of all the weddings. However, this is NOT an ideal situation, as since Sanne's recent divorce, she seems to be living vicariously through these marrying couples instead of going out and experiencing life and getting back into a relationship herself.
Almost all of the film concerns Sanne and one particular wedding party. At this wedding, Sanne meets the best man, Jeroen, and the viewer is POSITIVE the two will eventually marry—mostly because of formula instead of any real logical reason for their being together. Jeroen, despite his looks and money, is a real jerk—and a self-centered one at that. He's slept with just about ALL the women in the wedding party and is proud that he never allows himself to become emotionally entangled with them. So how would you ever expect Sanne to fall for him considering that she is a hopeless romantic? What change would a man who appears to be a sex addict have in having a serious relationship with anyone (other than himself)? But, you just KNOW this is going to happen eventually— that IS the formula. Even when Jeroen inexplicably gets engaged to another woman and Sanne gets engaged to a hot-tempered Italian, the viewer still fully expects Jeroen and Sanne to eventually wed. And, when the inevitable occurs (complete with very romantic music from Andrea Bocelli and gorgeous cinematography), I am sure most viewers will think "I wonder how long they'll stay together .perhaps a week or two at the most, most likely"!
If you can set aside the plot (and I had a hard time doing this), the film is very well made. The direction and look of the film is gorgeous— and might just have you wanting to run off to Tuscany yourself! It simply looks great. But, like many wedding cakes covered in frosting, it might look great but it tastes pretty sticky and sweet. The bottom line is that although the film is filled with romance, much of it just doesn't make sense because the characters were rather one-dimensional and the situations contrived. You could do better if you're looking for a date night film.
This film is set in Tuscany at a bed & breakfast that specializes in weddings. The owners are Dutch and their patrons, oddly, all seem to all be Dutch. It's owned by Tom and Marla. Tom's daughter, Sanne is in charge of all the weddings. However, this is NOT an ideal situation, as since Sanne's recent divorce, she seems to be living vicariously through these marrying couples instead of going out and experiencing life and getting back into a relationship herself.
Almost all of the film concerns Sanne and one particular wedding party. At this wedding, Sanne meets the best man, Jeroen, and the viewer is POSITIVE the two will eventually marry—mostly because of formula instead of any real logical reason for their being together. Jeroen, despite his looks and money, is a real jerk—and a self-centered one at that. He's slept with just about ALL the women in the wedding party and is proud that he never allows himself to become emotionally entangled with them. So how would you ever expect Sanne to fall for him considering that she is a hopeless romantic? What change would a man who appears to be a sex addict have in having a serious relationship with anyone (other than himself)? But, you just KNOW this is going to happen eventually— that IS the formula. Even when Jeroen inexplicably gets engaged to another woman and Sanne gets engaged to a hot-tempered Italian, the viewer still fully expects Jeroen and Sanne to eventually wed. And, when the inevitable occurs (complete with very romantic music from Andrea Bocelli and gorgeous cinematography), I am sure most viewers will think "I wonder how long they'll stay together .perhaps a week or two at the most, most likely"!
If you can set aside the plot (and I had a hard time doing this), the film is very well made. The direction and look of the film is gorgeous— and might just have you wanting to run off to Tuscany yourself! It simply looks great. But, like many wedding cakes covered in frosting, it might look great but it tastes pretty sticky and sweet. The bottom line is that although the film is filled with romance, much of it just doesn't make sense because the characters were rather one-dimensional and the situations contrived. You could do better if you're looking for a date night film.
