Ah, the British! They have their eccentricities that have been providing fodder for little films for years - from the great stories of EM Forster, Evelyn Waugh, Julian Fellowes et al to the little dramadies such as this one written by director Donald Rice with Mary Henely-Magill, CHEERFUL WEATHER FOR THE WEDDING. They come off best when the odd class-oriented families take themselves seriously, covering their narrow view of the world of civility with accents so thick and rapidly delivered that without subtitles it is difficult to follow the script! But they are enchanting, especially when delivered by a cast of superb actors who are able to enter these odd characters' psyches and make us titter while we endure their snobbishness.

This film is meticulously presented and is both a celebration of English eccentricity and an understated examination of how families often do everything they can to avoid saying how they really feel. Dolly Thatcham (Felicity Jones) is to be married to the wealthy Owen (James Norton) after a very brief engagement: Dolly delays her preparations for the ceremony by drinking rum upstairs as she has flashbacks to her real romance a summer ago with the young professor Joseph Patten (Luke Treadaway) whom Dolly has invited to the wedding (to her mother's (Elizabeth McGovern) chagrin and Joseph waits downstairs with the entire bizarre family and friends awaiting Dolly's descent to proceed to the church. The story is interrupted with all manner of subplots including the strange behavior of Dolly's younger sister Kitty (Ellie Kendrick) who provides the audience with a naïveté that reveals so much about what everyone else is really thinking but just can't bring themselves to say.

Among the entertaining eccentrics having luncheon before the wedding are the bickering married couple (Fenella Woolgar and Mackenzie Crook) attempting to stop their son young Jimmy (Ben Greaves-Neil) from setting off little bombs throughout the house, aging but silly Aunt Bella (Barbara Flynn) seducing her chauffeur (Emil Lager), the perennial old maid Miss Spoon (Joanna Hole), the day's drunk Tom (Olly Alexander) and of course the only people about whom we care - the servants (Eva Traynor, Paola Dionisotti, Sophie Stanton, Kenneth Collard. The use of flashbacks to give us insight into Dolly's dilemma of marrying for convenience instead of for love is beautifully handled by creating a golden glow touch to the sequences from the past by cinematographer John Lee and a lovely musical score by Michael Price. And in a final farewell speech Joseph manages to put everything in its rightful place. It all works well, but put on the subtitles or you'll be in the dark.

Grady Harp

Dolly (Felicity Jones) is in her wedding gown, upstairs at her British mansion, in thought. Waiting on the first floor, where the ceremony will take place, is her fiancé, Owen (James Norton) and assorted guests. However, also in the crowd, is Felicity's former flame, Joseph (Luke Treadaway), whom she alone has invited. Last summer, just a few short months ago, they were in the throws of a "hot affair". Yet, things have cooled, as Joseph took off for Greece. Therefore, just why did Dolly invited Joe? Was it because she was uncertain whether she should marry Owen, in a hastily arranged nuptials, without seeing Joseph again? Her domineering mother, Hettie (Elizabeth McGovern) was hoping for a day without problems or hitches. Sister Kitty was just hoping to meet eligible young men. Now, will the wedding take place? This sad, very British stiff-upper-lip story, is one of the bleakest studies of love and marriage there could ever be. Its true, passions do go hot and cold and marriage is supposed to be forever, especially during the thirties when this tale takes place. One indeed must choose wisely but to secure that decision on ones own all important day is tragic indeed, especially for those left out. Aside from this, though, the film does have some funny moments and is gorgeous to view, with elaborate sets, costumes, and art direction. The cast, too, very large, with characters written for both upstairs and downstairs, is quite fine. If you adore well made films, are an Anglophile, like romantic dramas, or have a yen for Merchant-Ivory type pieces, this is the newest recommendation for you.

Cheerful Weather for the Wedding is a gloomy tale about a pair of crazy kids in love who just cannot get their sh*t together. This short story takes place the day of Felicity Jones's wedding. She is anxious about the choices she has made and is trying to figure out if this is what she wants, or if she has the gall to go through with something she doesn't want. Luke Treadaway is her former lover whom she invited to her wedding (to torment? to run away with? to confess her love to him before it's too late? That part wasn't really clear) and as he waits for the fateful hour where she will no longer be his, he grows increasingly anxious to talk to her. (to torment her? to run away with her? to confess his undying love to her? Also not sure why he showed up or what he wanted to say.)

The two former lovers barely interact and you only discover that they were once in love by how frigid they become when the other's name is mentioned, or by the flashbacks that show how close they were several months ago. (Or in Felicity's case how strongly she tries to avoid him.)

The costumes are pretty enough and the characters are well developed, but what this tale lacks is emotion. And it's not the story's fault. The plot line is designed to keep you thinking and rooting for a specific outcome but it's the acting that fails to sell you this romance. There is no genuine chemistry between any two actors at all in this film and it takes it's toll. In the end instead of being broken hearted or happy for the characters you kind of just wished someone slapped them and told them how they could have solved their "Problems." Luke Treadaway's character elicits the least amount of sympathy from the viewer, as it seems that he is the author of his own misfortunes.

All of that notwithstanding, it's still a pretty good movie. Worth one viewing so that you can decide for yourself. 6/10