Wedding Belles

Sorry, but I must disagree with the earlier rave reviews. I find that raunchy humor and dark humor aren't the same thing. Overall this film was just raunchy. The only consistent theme through the film was the hate Rhona, Shaz etc. had for men who had hurt them emotionally. If the women's roles were transposed with men's roles & vice versa, the film would never have been made. It would have been greeted with howls of execration.

Looking into the lives of what Americans call 'white trash' isn't particularly entertaining. If the story had an underlying theme that challenged the imagination and intellect, I would have stayed interested. But it didn't. I thought it was just an overlong collection of randy skits.

If this is called 'Scottish drama', then what on earth can we learn about Scotland from it? Yikes!

It's unfortunate that this programme's IMDb rating has been dragged down by one person who just plain didn't like it. Note that *every* other reviewer has given it a 10...and how often does that happen? From the fantastic, surreal opening sequence to the close, this is simply British TV drama at its best. Hilarious yes, as others have noted, but also one of the most moving portraits of friendship I can remember seeing. The script is razor sharp, every performance flawless, the direction superb. Not a dull moment from start to finish. This one is going to *rack* up the awards. The only problem I can see from an American's perspective is the accents - Glaswegian you could cut with a Stanley knife. My guess is it'll get subtitles when it hits HBO, as it surely must. Irvine Welsh - maestro! Dennis Potter couldn't have done it better...and praise comes no higher than that.

Wow! Just caught this on DVD and I have to say I'm blown away. Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh's "Wedding Belles" is simply a breath of fresh air. It's like a cross between a Quentin Tarantino and Mike Leigh film. It's got energy, hilarity, passion, irreverence and heart. A GREAT BIG HEART! I've haven't seen women portrayed this well on screen since...you know, I couldn't really say! From the surreal beginning to the heartbreaking end this film never slacks for a second. Wave after wave of attention grabbing scenes fly out at you and you just never know what's going to happen next.

It feels and looks so unlike a UK production because of its ambition. Like Trainspotting before it, Wedding Belles kind of invents its own genre. Chick flick? Romcom? Black comedy? Revenge movie? I couldn't really say. What I can say though is that you simply MUST SEE THIS FILM. I'd defy anyone to watch it and not get hooked.

The performances from Henderson and Gomez are career defining and Kathleen McDermott and Shauna McDonald are stars on the up. The direction from Phillip John is sublime and the photography? Wow! It's like a painting.

All this and a soundtrack that manages to put Queens Of The Stone Age, Irma Thomas, The Pixies and Lonnie Donegan side by side without it feeling anything but natural and you've got a great work of art.

Funny, sad, sexy and scathing. Quite simply an amazing achievement. After being subjected to second rate pedestrian period drama's and lacklustre so called "contemporary" drivel from British TV over the last few years, "Wedding Belles" shot out of the left field and gave me hope in the future of UK broadcasting.

Besides the beautiful photography, the rip roaring soundtrack, the "not an ounce of fat" editing and of course the fantastic chemistry of the cast, here was a script that nailed its mission statement on the mast from the get-go. It went where asbestos booted angels fear to tread.

The whole film felt and looked "authored", something we very rarely - if ever- see from UK productions nowadays. Dean Cavanagh and Irvine Welsh were obviously left to really take their imaginations into overdrive. What we ended up with was "hyper reality" but reality all the same. For all the shocking scenes they never once took us so far away from a veracity.

Being an exiled American I did have a problem understanding the accents and watched with subtitles. This didn't detract from the sheer joy it, in fact, imagining the subtitlers translating it just added to the humour for me.

I watch most of my TV on boxsets and I'd love to see a season of "Wedding Belles". It made me want to visit Edinburgh week in week out and catch up with these larger than life characters.

Truly an outstanding piece of TV worthy of awards.

For anyone who likes their films hard and fast and hilarious and sexy and rock n rolling, well look no further. Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh have turned in an amazing script that is taken to another level with magical direction by Philip John and outstanding performances from Gomez, Henderson, McDermott and McDonald. It quite literally burns off of the screen. The soundtrack is awesome.

I'd be astounded if Wedding Belles didn't become a series. There has been talk of it in the media but no news as yet. Wedding Belles blows the usual rubbish like Skins and Goldplated and Shameless out of the water. It was a genuine joy to see something so original and exciting coming out of the UK.

I hope the BAFTA judges watched it because Henderson and Gomez deserve best TV actresses by a long mile.