Confetti

Plot synopsis:
The prestigious bridal magazine Confetti, owned by the arrogant, suave Antoni Clarke (Jimmy Carr) and managed by the long-suffering, uptight chief editor Vivienne (Felicity Montagu) is holding a competition to see who can hold the most original wedding, with the winners being presented with a new house and a cover shoot for the magazine. Three couples and their proposals are selected to participate: Sam and Matt (Jessica Stevenson and Martin Freeman), a middle class couple of old-fashioned romantics who have elected to hold their wedding in the style of Busby Berkeley musicals of the 1930s and 1940s, despite the fact that Sam can barely hold a tune; Isabelle and Josef (Meredith MacNeill and Stephen Mangan), a pair of hyper-competitive professional tennis players holding a tennis-themed wedding; and Joanna and Michael (Olivia Colman and Robert Webb), a naturist couple who intend to hold their wedding entirely naked. All three weddings are planned using the services of Gregory and Archie (Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins), wedding planners and partners in both business and love.
The film follows their planning, and the various crises that each couple faces over the three-month planning period. As well as learning to sing and dance, Sam and Matt must contend with Sam's dominating mother (Alison Steadman) and attention-seeking sister (Sarah Hadland), who appear intent on hijacking the proceedings and constantly browbeat and undermine the shy and easily cowed Sam (such as preventing her from inviting her beloved but estranged father), much to Matt's growing irritation. The couple must also deal with Matt's oldest friend and best man Snoopy (Marc Wootton), a musician who nurses a bitter resentment towards Sam for coming between him and Matt that he expresses in not-so-subtle lyrics that he intends to sing at the wedding. Despite the constant support and encouragement the couple receive from Archie and Gregory, the gradual tension eventually builds to a bitter argument between Matt and Sam's mother and sister which sees him kicked out of the house where he is staying with them; this prompts Sam, however, to finally stand up for herself and put her mother and sister in place.
Isabelle and Josef, meanwhile, are intensely determined to win, owing to unexplained financial difficulties. Suspicious and competitive, they become increasingly paranoid that the competition is being 'fixed' against them in favour of Matt and Sam, eventually resorting to the extreme measure of having Isabelle's nose – and her extremely large nostrils – altered by plastic surgery (with the result being that the nose she ends up with is much longer than her original one). In the process, however, they find themselves combatting their own anxieties; Josef, in particular, finds himself confronting his jealousy over Isabelle's friendship with their tennis coach, Jesus, and insecurity over his largely finished tennis career and that he will not be able to be a worthy husband to Isabelle. Joanna and Michael, however, find their plans challenged at every turn by Vivienne, who has no intention of putting a naked couple on the front of the magazine should they win. Michael, an experienced naturist, angrily resists Vivienne's efforts to make him dress up for the wedding, but Joanna, a recent convert and still insecure about revealing her body to strangers, finds herself of mixed minds about the issue. The pressure of the magazine and the tension between the two becomes so great that it briefly looks like the marriage will not even take place at all.
The big day finally arrives, amid much jitters and anxiety on all sides. All three weddings go off largely without a hitch, although Michael and Joanna raise eyebrows when, in defiance of Vivienne's rulings, they bare all (literally) in their wedding service. The winners are soon decided – Matt and Sam, which prompts a display of sour grapes on part of Josef and Isabelle. The movie then briefly glimpses at the three couples a few months later, all of whom are adjusting to married life relatively happily.

Tags: romantic, comedy

Review:
Step forward the three couples: nudists Michael and Joanna; tennis-mad Josef and Meredith, and Hollywood musical fans Matt and Samantha.The fun comes for us as as viewers as we join the fly-on the wall documentary team that follows all three couples as the wedding organisers and their respective families try to get the weddings together in time for the contest.This is a showcase of modern British comedy talent.
But the real stars are the lesser known Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins as the camp wedding organisers who won't let anything get in the way of the couples' dream day.This is an enjoyable little film, with a nice basic idea, littered with lots of good performances.
A highly entertaining and original comedy using the cream of British comedy acting talent, who spent weeks improvising before arriving at the final script.At times the writer/director Debbie Isitt doesn't seem sure whether to make her characters comic or endearing, but usually succeeds in doing both.The 'Tennis Match' wedding is very funny, while the cast of non-dancers failing to achieve perfect symmetry in the Busby Berkeley sequence adds to the general hilarity.Martin Freeman gets better with each role, Alison Steadman turns in her usual immaculate performance, with Jimmy Carr making the most of his first big screen role.
Saw Confetti today and was not sure what to expect, I knew it had a great cast from all over British comedy TV - Green Wing, Peep Show, Spaced, The Office and it had also been written by the brilliant Debbie Isitt but I'd heard mixed reviews so I went in with an open mind; I LOVED IT!!!
Well acted and very funny.The highlights of the film are The mother and sister of Jessica Stevenson's character and The Wedding Planners.
Some people think Freddie got fingered is the funniest film they have ever seen, others think its stupid.its not as good as Spinal Tap, but i saw American Dreamz the other week and its a million times funnier than that.I think as with any comedy its a sense of humour thing, this would appeal more to fans of Shaun of the Dead than Four Weddings, but my honest opinion is that this film was the funniest thing i have seen since the 40 year old Virgin..
I saw this movie this evening at a preview screening in Southampton knowing only 3 things: It was about weddings, all the scripts were improvised, and it contained one of my most hated people: Jimmy Carr.
The film contained the cream of the British comedy crop - actors from Spaced, The Office, Peep Show, Green Wing etc etc, and was suitably hilarious.
Jessica Stevenson and Martin Freeman make for the nicest and most realistic couple in the film, and their wedding contains the most colourful characters..
The Green Wing's Stephen Mangan and Man Stroke Woman's Meredith MacNeill were also hilarious as the couple having a tennis themed wedding - along with a host of marital issues.
Im an American and a big fan of "good mocumentarys" and this film certainly ranked right up there at the cream of the crop of comedy.There's Matt and Sam who want a Hollywood musical wedding in the style of Busby Berkley.
yes, it is entirely improvised - very much in the style of the excellent Christopher Guest films (Best In Show, Waiting For Guffman, A Mighty Wind - all of which I would highly recommend, especially if you like Confetti!) The basic plot line is: Confetti magazine is running a competition for the most out-there wedding, the prize being a house.
Shot so as to appear in the style of a fly-on-the-wall documentary, the film never left me feeling like it was contrived and the characterisations were just superbly believable throughout.The casting couldn't really have been any better; some truly fantastic performances from Martin Freeman, Justin Webb (from BBC 2's "The Smoking Room" and Channel 4's "Peep Show") and Olivia Colman (also from "Peep Show" and also BBC2's "Look Around You") - to name but a few.
Taking talent from all the current cult British comedy shows, there's a brilliant fusion of subtle, gentle performances counterbalanced by some great big, crude, cartoon-like characters.
When that morass of charged emotions runs headlong into a contest held by Confetti Magazine for the "most original wedding," things are bound to get messy.Three couples are chosen for their unique wedding ideas: Matt (Martin Freeman) and Sam (Jessica Stevenson) want a Hollywood musical style, Josef (Stephen Mangan) and Isabelle (Meredith MacNeill) vie for a tennis theme, while Michael (Robert Webb) and Joanna (Olivia Colman) are "naturalists" and want their nuptials to be done in the nude.
Trying to wrangle these three disparate couples into some kind of order are wedding planners Archie Heron (Vincent Franklin) and Gregory Hough (Jason Watkins) who seem to be channeling Corky St. Clair...In fact, shot as a documentary, this British ensemble piece is sure to be (justly) compared to Christopher Guest's mockumentaries (WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, A MIGHTY WIND, et cetera).
They choose Matt and Sam (Martin Freeman and Jessica Hynes) two tone-deaf theater enthusiasts whose theme is Broadway Musicals ; Josef and Isabelle (Stephen Mangan and Meredith MacNeill) two wannabe pro-tennis players whose theme is, no big surprise, tennis ; and Michael and Joanna (Robert Webb and Olivia Colman), two nudists whose theme is a "naturist" wedding.
With the help of two flamboyantly gay wedding planners (Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins), the three couples set on a trek to plan their weddings and perhaps win the Confetti magazine most original wedding contest.'Confetti' is an interesting concept, but disappointing in that they could have done so much more with it.
The actors are all very talented and funny, especially Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins who are constant scene-stealers as the bitchy/gay wedding planners.
The 3 couples who are the focus of the film couldn't be more different with a couple living at home with her Mum, a couple who are very competitive tennis players and a couple who are naturalists (aka nudists!).The film, aside from being hilarious, the whole cinema was in fits throughout most of it, really touched on some serious topics connected with relationships and especially marriage...the interfering 'good intentioned' family, jealousy, public perceptions of the norm...most of all the film reinforced what is important.I was in two-minds about this film, I hadn't been convinced by the trailers I had seen and the reviews I had read hadn't convinced me.
If you enjoy Brit comedy especially along the lines of The Office, Spaced and Shaun of the Dead then this is a definite film for you!.
While I wouldn't consider anyone's acting bad, I simply didn't find the film particularly funny, or romantic, and a lot of the characters were just too flat and not properly fleshed out (such as the gay wedding planners)..
Ultimately a movie for adult humour (avoid showing the kids!) The end result for the three weddings is so funny and I guarantee you'll have a smile on your face by the end of the film!
Trouble is, this isn't anywhere nearly as funny or believable as the misadventures of David Brent, despite a large ensemble cast really trying their best."Confetti" is a spoof documentary following the efforts of Confetti magazine to run a competition for the most originally themed wedding of the year, the prize being a house and a front-cover photo-shoot.
And to be honest, it's also obvious who is going to win the thing at the end which is a real shame because with our interest flagging, that was the only reason my Better Half and I kept watching.I don't think Spinal Tap have anything to worry about just yet but "Confetti" really could have been great instead of the plodding, wasted-opportunity that it is.
Director Debbie Isitt's new film is a real contender for the title of best British comedy.
Conceived by the director following her experiences with her own sisters wedding, and her love for reality TV shows like 'X-Factor', the cast improvised the whole experience as it was captured in true documentary style.Filmed in sequence over the course of 2 months and edited down from over 150 hours of footage, the story revolves around three couples trying to win a bridal magazine contest for "Most Original Wedding of the Year." The cast are incredibly convincing, Martin Freeman (The Office), Jessica Stevenson (Spaced), Robert Webb and Olivia Colman (Peep Show), Stephen Mangan (Green Wing), Meredith MacNeill (Man Stroke Woman), and Jimmy Carr in his first feature performance, all leave previous TV personas behind and make you believe in their characters.
Ably supported by Ron Cook and Alison Steadman, this film has a British edge but is accessible to anyone, especially those who have ever attended a real wedding.This film deserves to be a real success and the director is a talent to be watched, if you like this I suggest you look out for her earlier feature Nasty Neighbours.Debbie Isitt has constructed a film that is both funny and touching, and I recommend that you seek it out on its UK cinema release on May 5th..
It feels incredibly real and according to the information provided was largely "improvisational" but don't let that deter you - i haven't laughed out loud so much at a cinema EVER and although i fear some of the humour may be lost on our American cousins any fans of "the office", "green wing", "peep show" and numerous others will really enjoy this film and, certainly, any one that has organised a wedding will relish the "reality" that it embraces and will bring back some nightmares of their own.A must see film and a shoe-in for the Bafta award if not Oscar next year- you read it here first..
One couple choose a tennis theme, another a Busby Berkley muscial theme and the other couple choose to be true to themselves and choose "naturism".The film sees the development of the wedding plans over several weeks, and culminates in the big day itself when all three marriages are celebrated there and then at a classic awards ceremony complete with celebrity guests quaffing champagne at round tables while a panel of judges decide who wins the prize - a dream house.The film has so many well-known faces from British comedy it is hard to know who to mention first.
Webb's character is an unabashed militant naturist who tends to rip off his clothes wherever the fancy takes him, but his fiancée is more modest and seems to view the approaching wedding with a sense of dread.This film was totally enjoyable from start to end and in my view deserves a high score - not for its intellectual challenge but for its good humour and great acting from its cast who all have a track record for producing hilarious comedy..
Great comedy cast but this seemed like an American film.
Taking place over several weeks, Confetti comically documents three very unique couples and their eccentric quests to win over a bridal magazine's "most original wedding" contest.
With the help of an offbeat pace, these couples are transported to the surreal world of grossly irrelevant party planning, as imagined by two wacky staff party lovers.It sounds like mildly stimulating entertainment, and for the most part it does play out as an elegant time waster, but this inventive mock-up must not be overlooked when viewing all of the subtle, quirky direction that creator Debbie Isitt employs to give this film some remarkable shades of sincerity against the absurd contest parody.
Without the entire tennis-themed nuptials, you would be guaranteed a slightly less awful film, so woefully bad was each teeth-grindingly drawn out scene involving these dull and unwatchable characters going about their irritating and unconvincing lives.
Confetti is a good film, just not a great comedy.
Most have played either bit parts in better sit-coms (Spaced), or have starred in average ones (Green Wing).Though Confetti has a good story and a lot of heart it misses a lot of the laughs.
Lying Filmmakers Made Me Turn It Off. I caught this movie on the TV channel sky Valentine without knowing anything about it except this brief synopsis "A charming British comedy starring Martin Freeman and Olivia Colman about three couples competing for "most original wedding of the year".
Based on the fact that I like Freeman and Coleman I decided to give it a go.Plot In A Paragraph: Three couples, Sam and Matt (Jessica Stevenson and Martin Freeman), Isabelle and Josef (Meredith MacNeill and Stephen Mangan) and Joanna and Michael (Olivia Colman and Robert Webb) all compete to win a magazine competition for 'The Most Original Wedding' in order to win a house.
One thing I love about British comedy is the use of many of the same actors/friends in a variety of projects; for instance, two of the stars from "Spaced" are in last year's brilliant mockumentary Confetti.
Much like Christopher Guest does here in America, director/conceiver Debbie Isitt has compiled a who's who of actors from England for an almost totally improvised film.
Like Guest's earlier work Best in Show, Confetti relies on a clash of disparate personalities on their quest to win a competition, here a house by having the most original wedding.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story progression and laughed right on through to the end.The fantastic Martin Freeman and Jessica Stevenson (along with a bit part from Mark Heap make up the duo from "Spaced") really carry the film with their natural comedic instincts and ability to drive a sequence of events forward.
Rounding out the other wedding contestants are the tennis pros Meredith MacNeill and Stephen Mangan (the attitude and destructive personalities remind me of Parker Posey and her husband role in Best in Show) and the naturalists Olivia Colman and Robert Webb (with impressive comfortability being nude almost the entire duration).
The three couples have their moments with the quirky cast of characters included in their back-story, but also in their dealings with the wedding planners.
The Wedding Planners steal the show.The ending was a little obvious, but I didn't think it spoiled the film  there wasn't much choice for the judges and I'd probably have to agree with them.
I was just disappointed that it ended  I would quite like to have seen a bit more, especially of the house the couple won, there's probably a whole second film in that.
It was bound to be a good film considering the excellent cast (from The Office, Alan Partridge, Spaced, all my top favourite comedies) and i was looking forward to seeing it.
The story line is silly, i didn't find it funny in the slightest and it bored me so much i would never watch it again ( i have just bought the DVD and i'm selling it back straightaway!) I would certainly not recommend this film to anyone unless you have time to waste..
Anyone who is familiar with Alan Partridge, The Royle Family, People Like Us or The Office will recognise the cast although it doesn't quite match the comic tones of those programmes.The worthy motto of the story is this: marry for love and love alone which is why the most solid and normal of the three couples, played by Jessica Stevenson and Martin Freeman, eventually win the competition for having the most original wedding.
The other two couples are there principally to provide the humour and although I did not laugh out loud at all the jokes, I saw where they were coming from.Go and see it for a feel-good British romp.
Confetti is a film about a wedding magazine that holds a contest for the best original wedding.
The film follows the wedding planners and the three couples (tennis players, musical lovers, nudists) that have been chosen to participate in the contest.
'Confetti' does have some funny moments, but it does not come even close to being as good as 'Best In Show', or an excellent film, for that matter.
Overall, 'Confetti' could have been a better film because it did have some good ideas; some of the characters could have been played upon more and their stories expanded upon.
It certainly could have gone into much more detail with any of the couples, the panel of judges/magazine staff, and the wedding planners; doing this would have made a better film, if it was done correctly.
Not a great film by any means, but 'Confetti' is fairly good if you are looking to share a few laughs with friends..
A good, original British Comedy film.
Director Debbie Isitt shows she has the know how to present her mildly funny comedy that involves a contest sponsored by a magazine with three finalist couples, one of whom will win the prize and the exposure such events usually bring.After the three couples are selected, the finalist are the couple that want to have the Hollywood musical themed wedding.
The second couple elects to see a tennis themed ceremony and finally, there are the nudists, who insists they want to be married in the buff.Confetti, the magazine, engages a pair of gay wedding planners to put some sense into this enterprise.
The three couples eventually chosen out of all auditioned are: Matt (Martin Freeman) and Sam (Jessica Hynes/Stevenson) with their 1930's and 1940's musical theme; Josef (Stephen Mangan) and Isabelle (Peep Show's Meredith MacNeill) with their tennis theme; and naturists Michael (Robert Webb) and Joanna (Peep Show's Olivia Colman) with their, well, naturist theme.
Most of the film sees the couples trying to get everything they can think of to make their wedding have the winning theme, e.g. using choreographers and fashion experts.
For a mockumentary, I can believe that most (if not all) of the scenes and dialogue in this film was improvised, it is a bit of a mess, but for the few good giggles and amount of great British comedians (and one Canadian) this is worth a go.