The Big Wedding in Last Vegas

Well, Robert De Niro is certainly keeping his dance card full! In 2013 alone, he has played prime characters in six films - at least that's what his IMDB page is telling me. Anyway, in my spare time last night, I watched The Big Wedding. Despite appearing on my Netflix feed for months and consistently scrolling past it uninterested, I decided to give it a go.

De Niro plays the unlikely head of a household. Within the first ten minutes we learn of his affair, his subsequent divorce from first wife Ellie and his 10 year relationship with his mistress Bebe. With three children, grown and out the house, the family prepares to reunite for, adoptive son, Alejandro's pending nuptials. But, drama unfolds as Alejandro's strictly catholic birth mother arrives from Columbia expecting her son's parents to still be happily married. In an attempt to save face, Ellie and Don (De Niro) pretend to be together which leaves Bebe feeling left out and pretty pissed off! The rest of the film deals primarily with the family's dysfunctional relationships and the modern, religiously diverse, sexually active and inactive family.

The film was a star studded event. Susan Sarandon, Amanda Seyfried, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton and even Robin Williams appear as key characters along with, of course, Robert De Niro. The actors seemed to work well together on screen and made a cohesive, and more importantly, realistic family. It was nice seeing Sarandon and Keaton in the same film for the first time. They are both actresses that I admire and was frankly shocked when I discovered this was the first time the two are appearing together. Hopefully I'm wrong and some kind person will tell me of another Keaton/Sarandon film! I'm also surprised that Robin Williams made an appearance in a rather pivotal role considering he has become rather selective with the films he stars in. But when he does appear in roles like this, the world is reminded of his brilliance and his wonderful style of acting. Hollywood loves a film with several blockbuster names, so I'm surprised I hadn't heard much buzz about it. Even on Netflix, I never saw a banner or a suggestion for the movie.

Now, I'm trying to be less critical of films like this. Films specifically designed to make people laugh and not much else, shouldn't be ripped apart by critics and bloggers... but I can't help myself. Everything was great apart from the ending...

**SPOILERS**

Another film, completely ruined by it's ending. Why did the writer suddenly feel the need to create this web of lies and adulatory which was then almost immediately overlooked! It's practically a law that comedy films like this one are supposed to finish on a happy ending. But by glossing over the drama that is included is only complicating the film. The affair reveal at the end was also entirely unwarranted, and could have been left on the cutting room floor. I almost feel like the reveal should have come much earlier in the film to allow the characters time to react realistically instead of shrugging their shoulders and accepting that their loved ones cheated on them.

If you're looking for something to watch on Netflix, then go ahead and watch this. But just remember... everything ends, pretty much the exact same way that it started (with the addition of a wedding ring and one little Katherine Heigl surprise).

The second film on my De Niro list was Last Vegas. A film that follows four men on a trip to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Of course this sounds very familiar, but these men are all 60+ years old and are not exactly the 'hangover' types. Again, the aspect of the film that garnered my attention was the stellar cast. Michael Douglas, De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kiline and Mary Steenburgen are the core cast with amazing support from Romany Malco, Joanna Gleason and Roger Bart! There was also a short but hilarious cameo from Curtis Jackson a.k.a 50 Cent.

The jokes were heavily centred around age and the differences in attitudes. With the closing moral of the story surrounding the importance of friendship and living life to it's fullest at any age. Morgan Freeman's character donned a fanny pack throughout and provided many of the out-loud-chuckles as he experienced gambling and young women. I enjoyed Romany Malco's character and the way his interaction with the men changed over the course of the movie. He's obviously a very talented comedy actor having starred in several box office hits, and I hope to see him shine again in Think Like a Man Too which premières this Autumn.

Last Vegas showed a different side of Vegas than the one we so often see on screen. Instead of focusing on the neon colours and messy, party lifestyle, we saw several beautiful scenes of the characters walking through pool areas and casinos. The image was less overwhelming than those seen in The Hangover (which is simply the first Vegas based film that came to mind). It was bright and beautiful.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, its themes and its cast. It would be a great watch for anyone who enjoys a few good laughs from some very talented actors.