The Decoy Bride

source: The Decoy Bride

One of the most papp'd film actresses in the world has another try at a private and personal wedding day by holding it in secret, on the remote Scottish island of Hegg. That's how this genuinely pleasurable and nicely balanced comedy begins. The story is lively and funny without ever becoming daft or, the traditional worse mistake, 'madcap'. It twists, turns and sails through to the end without the standard or predictable rom-com notes chiming in. Kelly McDonald is brilliant balanced and David Tennant and Alice Eve steer nicely through superb without ever getting excessive. A well-written comedy done well - well worth the time.

A Scottish, independent romantic comedy is hard to come by. Usually when you find such a movie, it's really good. Unfortunately, "The Decoy Bride" isn't great. The premise of a Hollywood star running away from paparazzi and getting married on a remote Scottish island but with a stand-in bride for disguise has numerous routes to provide both romance and comedy. It was romantic enough, but only kind of funny, and certainly not laugh-out-loud funny. The main problems, all very minor, add up to a film that is desperately lacking a dust of perfection that it would require to be able to stand on its own two feet. The bride, Lara Tyler (Alice Eve), is desperate to find a wedding location for just herself and soul-mate. After reading a novel which describes, in beautiful romantic prose, a remote Scottish island with a castle standing proudly on a hillside, she sends her publicist, agent, and writer husband-to-be to stage her perfect wedding. The problems are this location was a writer's fantasy and the paparazzi are already on their way there. The town exists, but it's filled with typical quirky towns-folk, and worse, the castle is barely standing. The problem for me was that we quickly discover the writer of this location novel is her fiancé. He has never denied ever having been to this town and yet nobody questioned that his descriptions might not be accurate. At this point we no longer have a particularly likable protagonist. One would assume the towns-folk would welcome the bride and her entourage as all the inhabitants and their small businesses are in need of money, instead they take on a local air of snobbery and grunt and complain their way through the movie. But these are all just minor characters, even the bride herself is a fairly minor character. Our main girl is the decoy bride – Katie (Kelly Macdonald). All the men in her town are married and she hasn't found her own path in life yet. She gladly accepts the Hollywood proposal to pretend to be a movie star getting married. Of course things don't go as planned, and we get an only mildly amusing comedy of errors. However, it is during the comedy of errors where Katie and the husband-to-be James Arber (David Tennant) find themselves locked in a room and on the run together across the Scottish island. These scenes provide the romance and connection based on good acting and great casting. I'm not familiar with David Tennant but he was just so natural as the bumbling, awkward writer that the character was a good fit for this film. I am familiar with Kelly MacDonald. She is the actress who has quietly blown you away in "No Country for Old Men" and "Boardwalk Empire", but she is unrecognizable here and that's a good thing. I would have preferred it much more if the supporting characters weren't so unpleasant, and if they had made some choices that weren't quite so predictable. The beginning of the film is structured poorly and has some awkward sequences, but then they stumble right along into a cute romantic comedy. Since great ones are hard to come by, "The Decoy Bride" can fill that void for awhile.

The British excel at romantic comedies. There are loads to choose from, too, but this isn't one of them. This is clearly aimed at women only. There's nothing wrong with that, and it seems that the reviews are almost entirely written by women who enjoyed this. But somehow, we are supposed to believe that the gaunt and boring Tennent has managed to nab a drop dead gorgeous blond, and he's going to give her up for the village idiot. Ridiculous. The men have little to do and nothing to say. The man with the most lines is... you guessed it... gay! There's not much romance here but loads of women with lots to do and say. David Tennent is badly miscast as a leading man, although thankfully he doesn't have much to do. Even the scenery is a lost opportunity. It's just gloomy, overcast and almost always raining. The comedy is forced and drawn out, the drama is drab and sorely lacking in anything of interest for the viewer to cling on to. The ongoing joke about the press photographer is just annoying. The stilted and awkward dialogue is just embarrassing to sit through. Worst of all is the bizarre playlist of awful songs. I gave it half an hour before my eyes started bleeding. Then again, I'm a bloke and this one is for the birds!

Lara (Alice Eve) a beautiful young actress is set to wed a budding writer, James (David Tennant). The trouble is, the press follows her everywhere, especially paparazzi maniac, Marco (Federico Castelluccio). Each time she and her intended have planned a private ceremony, Marco shows up, even in disguise. So, at the last moment, plans are squashed. However, Lara's next plan seems promising. They will be wed on a far-away island in the Outer Hebrides, where James bestselling book was written. Naturally, their staff will arrange the details needed. This takes some work! Not only for the cloak-and-dagger legwork but because the island's castle is far from photogenic. Also to the island comes native, Katie (Kelly McDonald). She, likewise an author, has come home with her hopes dashed, both career-related and marital. Her mother still runs the island's only B and B so its Katie's choice of refuge. By chance, Kate meets James in an unlikely place and tension springs forth. But, when Lara believes her secret wedding has been once again breached, the staff decides Kate would make a good "decoy", hidden under a veil, with photographers thinking they have crashed the event. Then, the real couple can be wed shortly thereafter. But, will such an idea really work, especially when James and Kate's initial feelings for one another may be altering? Don't be fooled by the title, romcom fans, this is the genuine thing, a nice, funny, and sweet l'il comedy with romance. The main cast is talented and attractive, with old pros like James Fleet also popping in and out. As for the setting, what a treat to see such a remote place of the earth, complete with beauty and ruggedness. Costumes, a swell script and a well-timed direction make this flick quite a pleasure. Genre fans, you know who you are, so act accordingly and find it.

Simple is really a good way to describe this film. That's not necessarily bad but it was an expensive script that certainly got a lot of editing done to keep the costs down so it doesn't really bring anything outstanding to the table. It has its cute moments and it is a fun distraction for its run time but it will most likely be completely forgotten shortly after watching it. I was a little disappointed with the cinematography, I expected some really breathtaking Scottish scenery and there was one scene that was stunning but the rest was left unshown and really the film could have been shot anywhere because it goes unused as the backdrop. The cast was good but never great, the story was good but again, never great, and it turns out to be just a very mediocre rom-com. In fact I thought it was a little light on the expectant British comedy which I really like. Kelly Macdonald plays quirky and down to earth Katie. She is easy to relate to and definitely has the down to earth aspect necessary for such a role. She gives her character some depth, more than probably what the script provides so she does a decent job. David Tennant is our male lead and he's decent though I expected more of a quirky performance from him. The two of them together have okay chemistry but not great which immediately helps a rom-com if the two leads have good chemistry. Alice Eve, who seems to be in so much lately, is our Hollywood starlet. She has a small role, although a lot of screen time. What I mean is that her character has very little development and very little depth but she plays the role decently. I have a little crush on her so I enjoy seeing her but this role did nothing for her. The supporting cast are all okay but no one stands out whatsoever as their characters are strictly background for the romance. The film absolutely falls victim to mediocrity. Director Sheree Folkson comes mostly from television and the film is simple enough that she does decently with what she is given. I just have this feeling that the film was cut, edited and dwindled down to almost nothing. As I said...it is cute and it has its moments but it is just really ho hum. Our two main characters' romance happens very quickly during one single day spent together and it just doesn't feel like enough to establish the epic romance that a romance film needs. I have to say that this one is mostly skippable and perhaps if you really like romance films and are looking for something out of the mainstream then you won't hate seeing this one but it certainly won't end up in many people's favorite lists. 6/10

As far as RomComs go, there isn't really much you can do to differentiate one plot from the next so I won't really comment on that aspect of the film. I will say, however, that the plot wasn't outrageous and the pace at which the story told is to thank. Having lived in the UK, I found that I zeroed in on a few more one-liners than the average North American. I also found that I thoroughly enjoyed some of the quirks the supporting cast/extras provided as they seemed genuine and offered a chance at reminiscence. The "freshness" of the film is truly carried on their shoulders. Overall, this was a well made, well-acted film and provides solid entertainment value for its duration.

Sure it follows the standard formula of all romantic comedy films but, while I'm a fan of Romcoms and always hope they're going to be really good I find they almost never are. Unfortunately most of them score about a 3 (just watchable with a few good scenes or funny moments) down to -10 (complete waste of time). "The Decoy Bride" is a real treat. Especially if you're a Kelly MacDonald fan. Rest of cast is good too. Written by the wonderful comedian Sally Phillips who co-stars with Neil Jaworski and starring David Tennant. Excellent chick flick but a great in-home date night movie rental with your male significant other (unless he's a Vin Diesel fan in which case don't bother). You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll thank yourself for checking this movie out.

Alice Eve has the kinda smile that could get her out of a speeding ticket. Too bad her smile is completely wasted in The Decoy Bride, a dull, trite comedy with a contrived setup that does nothing but exercise its right to be fluffy and forgettable escapism. I've come to that time in my short life of being a semi-professional film critic that I can almost identify when a film is exercising in its boundaries and when it's simply being lackadaisical and unambitious. The Decoy Bride is frothy and dreary, wasting its perfectly nimble and bright cast, who I crave to watch in stronger material. The material concerns Lara Tyler (Alice Eve), a popular UK celebrity who simply wants to marry James Arber (David Tennant), her fiancée, without the paparazzi bothering her with their clicking cameras and gossip reporters. The two vacate to Hegg, a Scottish island, where they are quickly followed by the paparazzi, and a desperate team member of Lara's suggests they stage a wedding between James and some other girl to trick the paparazzi and give the couple some peace. Hegg native Katie (Kelly Macdonald) is hired to pretend to be Lara and winds up striking an, at first, contentious relationship with James, which later turns soft and forgiving, despite his insults and her comebacks. As you can tell, we're in a very different setting, but we're experiencing pretty much the same clichés we can find back on the American market. The United Kingdom is known for their quirky sense of humor and unique brand of Television comedies, yet we see pretty much the same unforgivably bland trite we can watch on the Lifetime network or even ABC Family. The charming cast succumbs to some of the most wretched clichés on screen, and even David Tennant of people looks bored and uninterested in this failure of a project. Surely if you're considering renting this film, whether it be off of Netflix or even from the local store, you could certainly find something more appealing and insightful from The Decoy Bride same genre. If you're looking for pleasant escapism, perhaps try the classic Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan endeavor You've Got Mail. Or if you want a fantastic genre-exercise, try Annie Hall, a delightful film by Woody Allen. There are dozens of better options and there is little time to view all of them. Why settle for The Decoy Bride? Starring: Kelly Macdonald, David Tennant, and Alice Eve. Directed by: Sheree Folkson.

A warning of a spoiler is hardly necessary when the outcome is a foregone conclusion. The end result is obvious once all the actors are together on the island. This takes nothing away from the enjoyment of the movie, as it turns out. Set on an imaginary island called Hegg, a little dot amongst the Hebrides. Lara Tyler, who is one of THE most famous movie stars in the known world, is played by Alice Eve, but all she wants to do is marry her fiancé, writer James Arber, (David Tennant). Harassed to the point of distraction by all the paparazzi, especially by Marco Ballani (Federico Castelluccio), who is like a rabid dog with his obsession for Lara, they escape to the tiny Scottish island of Hegg, so they can marry in peace. However when the paparazzi tracks them down, They in fact receive a tip-off, and with the locals smelling easy money, Lara, suffering from paparazzi paranoia, becomes upset and runs off & hides. In total desperation, her management team, run by Steve Korbitz (Michael Urie), decide to stage a fake wedding, hoping the paparazzi will fall for their little trick and leave the island. Local girl Katie (Kelly MacDonald), who is back from the mainland nursing a broken heart, is recruited to pretend to be Lara. But is James Arber convinced that Lara is his one true love? Very predictable but also very funny with some poignant moments. It may have lacked the polish of a movie like 'Hook', but with a budget 67 & a half million less than 'Hook', I Think they did a good job. It should have done better than it did at the box office but I'm sure it lacked a credible PR team. I never heard of it until earlier this year, 2012, and only then because my daughter had brought the movie home. I think it will do better as time goes by but I don't think they will recoup their costs. It's a shame.