Review by John Delia
Touching and compelling, the movie After the Wedding tells a twisting tale of happenstance and inspiration. Not your ordinary straight forward story, the movie opens with a heartfelt reality, then takes you on a journey to a woman’s past that plays into a miracle of sorts.
The film opens in Calcutta, India where Isabel Anderson (Michelle Williams) is working at an orphanage. She has made it her life’s career to help the hundreds of thousands who face an early death in the ghettos of the burgeoning city. It’s a difficult job working with those who have been funding the orphanage, but it has brought solace to her for the results she gets for the kids.
On this day she finds out that her largest donner Horizon Corporation would like to see her in New York to discuss their sponsorship of the orphanage. In New York Isabel meets Philanthropist Theresa (Julianne Moore)Â owner and founder of the company. At the meeting Theresa tells Isabel that she has not made a decision as yet on which charity she will fund and wants her to stay in New York while she makes that decision. Isabel explains that she has a wedding the next day for her daughter Grace (Abby Quinn)Â that must be run and will let her know following.
Being invited to the wedding, Isabel makes a showing. There she’s confronted with her past and has to make serious decisions of her own. With amazing vision, writing, and directorial skills Bart Freundlich puts together one of the most touching and revealing films of the year thus far. The opening Calcutta, India scenes are wide eyed and revealing. It sets the tone that will add complexities to the story of this young woman who finds her soul among the people and later has to rekindle her life from choices made during her past.
The acting by Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore is a tour de force of coming to grips with an unavoidable glass ceiling. But this ceiling has nothing to do with getting to the top of a company, but a barrier to facing consequences and decisions. Theresa faces both heartbreak and the inevitable, Isabel has to deal with her future and decision that has come back to haunt her. The two women are sure to face off when the Oscar voting begins.
After the Wedding has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for thematic material and some strong language. It’s a good film for a dinner and a movie.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film that captivates. (4 out of 5 Stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Abby Quinn, Will Chase
Directed and screenplay by: Bart Freundlich
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material and some strong language
Running Time: 1 hr. 52 min.
Opening Date: August 16, 2019
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Released in: Standard, Color