Week 6: Confetti

Netflix, I really appreciate most of what you do for me. Really, I do. However, I have to admit that whenever I see the little pop-up window with “Netflix Recommendations”, I feel a little queasy.

Let’s be honest, Netflix. Your recommendations are a bit of a crapshoot. Yes, I loved Shaun of the Dead but that does not mean I would necessarily love Mulva: Zombie Ass-Kicker.

Born into Brothels? Fabulous. Thank you very much for the recommendation. The Corporation? Before Sunrise? Bad, Netflix, bad. Shame on you.

Which brings us to Confetti. This was one of those movies that I debated at length before adding it to my queue. The description sounded promising: a British mockumentary about a wedding magazine contest to plan the most original wedding possible.

Let’s be honest, you had me at “British mockumentary,” two of my favorite words in the English language. The rest of the sentence could have ended with, “a British mockumentary… in which live puppies are dismembered in front of hungry schoolchildren,” and I probably would have rented it.

We watched Confetti last night and I just sat there for a few minutes afterward trying to imagine what I could say about this movie. It was good. And it was not good. I am conflicted.

The premise is great and much of the dialogue of this film is hysterical. The best parts revolved around the couple planning their nudist wedding. I have never seen so much old British wang bouncing around playing badminton and riding bikes in my life. And I loved it. Old naked British people are the best. You should probably rent the movie for these scenes alone.

The two gay wedding planners are quite fun to watch and the final weddings were funny, including a tennis-themed wedding by an over-competitive couple and a Broadway-themed wedding for the sweet, romantic couple. It was all very entertaining but it just missed the mark somehow. The movie started out really strong and had so much potential, but in the end they didn’t push the situations or the humor hard enough. It tried to be funny and sweet at the same time, watering down both attempts.

I know this whole thing sounds very wish-washy but I’m truly stumped. In the end, I guess old British wangs win out. Go ahead and rent Confetti. If nothing else, it will make you feel much better about how you look naked.