A magnificently acted film, Jonathan Demme's latest directorial work is both original and exceptional (he also directed Silence of the Lambs). The film possesses many layers and themes, but there are two that are worth mentioning in this short review.

First, there's Kym. Played by Anne Hathaway, Kym's a woman freshly released from rehab on a crash course to join her family for the wedding of her sister Rachel. It's is definitely one of the more complex roles Hathaway has undertaken in her career, pretty much as distant as you can be from her Princess Diaries/Devil Wears Prada characters. Kym's idiosyncrasies emulate the most Paparazzi-ed of dysfunctional celebrities: a little bit of Britney thrown in with a side of Lindsay for good measure. And it all seems very natural and entirely believable. With some fantastic monologues, she easily steals much of the thunder from her father, played by Bill Irwin, and the bride herself (Rosemarie DeWitt), although their performances are both spectacular in their own right.

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