jrcham94

I truly wanted to like this film; it has much going for it. The acting and cinematography are superb, taking the viewer to parts of France rarely seen in film. Unfortunately, the filmmaker is more interested in cobbling together a series of set pieces featuring the philosophical musings of odd characters encountered by the protagonist than he is in telling any sort of coherent story. Pierre skips out on his long-time partner, Paul, one night and drives (and drives and drives) aimlessly. After a lone sexual encounter, Pierre crosses paths with a series of quirky individuals with much (but actually very little) to say. As presented, Pierre is a pleasant-looking cipher who seems to serve only as a vehicle for setting up the odd encounters which, in and of themselves, do not sustain enough interest for the viewer to care about this very slow trip through France. Paul frantically searches for Pierre, tracking him through Grindr(?!). Will he find him? Who knows? Who cares? This is a slow-moving film presented in a style peculiar to French cinema with little, unfortunately, to sustain it.

Whitney Houston's story is not in the end a happy one, but this film celebrates the woman behind the image, humanizing her in a way not previously accomplished in earlier films. With never-before-seen footage, the filmmakers capture Whitney and her world up-close, from before she was famous through her ultimate decline. What's special about this film is the lack of judgment present; it is up to the viewer to determine what might have been done to protect a fragile soul from the brutality of fame. The film captures Whitney's brilliance as a vocalist, her likability as a person, and her vulnerability to those who did not have her best interests at heart. Her story is both breathtaking and heartbreaking, told by filmmakers sympathetic to her as a person, affording her a dignity not seen in previous bios.

It's tiring to read reviews that are not about the quality of a movie but instead are written to rehash a crowd mentality - in this case to trash Katherine Heigl, who is actually quite good in the film.

Jenny's Wedding tells the all-too-common story of a conservative Christian family that has tremendous difficulty in accepting a gay son or daughter. Even in 2015, otherwise loving family members can inflict guilt on their gay offspring rather than come to terms with reality. Jenny's Wedding captures this dynamic in a sensitive way that relates Jenny's story from the perspective of all family members (including Jenny's partner). All the acting is excellent, and the story's arc reveals changes that that are honestly earned, without sentimentality.

This film is a fine, underrated romantic drama that deserves to be seen.