ANALOG vs DIGITAL - Ultra High Fidelity Magazine

“Blu-ray Essentials” label, with a low tion. He/she makes Jim Carrey look like are delightful characters, situations that
enough price that it will appeal even to the poster boy for Prozac.
are by turns hilarious and moving, and
those who already have the DVD. I doubt I will ever again watch this sparkling dialogue that helps one forget
Director Luc Besson wrote the origi- movie from start to finish, but it includes the bad stuff.
nal story when he was in his teens, and it some brilliant scenes one can skip to, like Charles (Hugh Grant) finds himself
shows, because not even the slickness of tracks on a CD. The Blu-ray transfer is going to a lot of friends’ weddings — to
the production can overcome the plot’s terrific. The extras do not include what I which he is chronically late — but never
juvenile origins. Every 50 centuries evil was hoping for, the Diva’s solo uninter- to his own. He is, as one former girlfriend
aliens come to earth to wipe out all life. rupted by Leeloo fighting off the pigs. describes him, a serial monogamist. And
How that can improve their bottom line
so it turns out that at these weddings he
is never explained. They can be defeated
runs into a number of former flames,
only by uniting the four classical ele-
not all of whom have forgiven him. At
ments (air, earth, fire and water, rather
the first wedding he meets an American
than oxygen, iron and titanium). Oh, and
woman, Carrie, who makes his eyes light
a “fifth element,” which is not exactly an
up. This happens to him a lot, however,
element, but a “perfect woman” named
and the fact he winds up in her bed
Leeloo. She must be brought back from
doesn’t actually suggest a break with the
the past by cloning, and as usual the film-
past. Nor does wedding number three,
makers confuse cloning with reincarna-
which is Carrie’s, and to someone else.
tion. She is played by Milla Jovovich. She
Carrie is the least plausible character
is reborn nude, as we all would be, and if
of the film, but I cut her a lot of slack
she is not perfect she looks pretty good.
because she is played by the wonderful
Among the many cultural taboos she is
Andie Macdowell.
unaware of is the one involving nudity.
It is in fact the funeral of the title
So far, no complaints.
that causes Charles to reconsider his life,
Oh, did I mention that the year is
and opens him up to the possibility that
2263? We finally get the flying cars we’ve
wedding number four perhaps should be
been promised since the 1950’s, but to
his own.
little advantage, since all it means is that
Much of the joy of this film, and
we have three-dimensional gridlock. Four Weddings and a Funeral also the cleverest dialogue, comes from
Leeloo escapes into that madness and (Blu-ray)
the secondary characters. Charles lives
winds up in a cab piloted by a retired Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell platonically with Scarlett (Charlotte
special forces Major named Korben MGM
Coleman), who has fluorescent hair and
Dallas (Bruce Willis, who kept the Gerard Rejskind: You probably don’t spends time at one wedding under the
undershirts he wore in the Die Hard expect romantic comedies to be com- tablecloth with the children (“Hi, I’m
series). Apparently the Special Forces pletely plausible, and it’s not as though Scarlett; don’t let me drink too much or
pension plan is none too generous. action movies were built on unassail- I’ll get really flirty”). There are Gareth
Dallas will eventually learn who Leeloo able logic either. Even the most famous and Matthew (Simon Callow and John
is and what her mission is. He will fight romantic film of all time, Casablanca, for Hannah), delightfully engaging char-
the Mangalores, heavily-armed piglike NOT all JUST its brilliant HARDWARE and quotable lines, also REVIEWS!
acters, who live together and are clearly
thugs who clearly borrowed their absurd includes clinkers that a wise director gay, though their closest friends seem
weapons from the Men in Black. He will would have Yes, run we his get pencil asked, through. constantly, Per- not to notice. One of them will give a
visit an astonishingly elaborate resort haps what they we were will kept be reviewing because Casablanca’s in our next issue. wonderfully heartbreaking speech, and it
in low Earth orbit, where the Diva is director, And Michael we know Curtiz, reviews then are essential. barely won’t be at one of the weddings. Rowan
performing. The Diva is a very tall, blue But spoke equipment English. reviews are nothing if not plentiful. Atkinson is a befuddled new priest who
extraterrestrial. She has possession of the Readers This have film, long which told has us gone that what through makes has UHF trouble with the details at the second
stones with the four elements, and she particularly two DVD valuable incarnations to them (the are second the one other wedding. articles. And there are several other
sings divinely, performing the mad Articles scene about was, finally, ideas, about enhanced the nuts for widescreen and bolts of the minor technology, characters with brief but amusing
from Lucia di Lammermoor. Korben, in a TVs), is finally and also out about on Blu-ray. music Its and script film, is appearances.
tux for once, is clearly perturbed, both a blend of sublime which are moments the very and reasons howlers For all its imperfections, it is a film
by her weirdness and the beauty of her that for director our lovingly-created Mike Newell should systems have to exist. worth seeing more than once. The
voice.
Not that blue-pencilled. we will ever stop publishing hardware more reviews.
times you see it, the more you’ll
Also worth a mention is Ruby Rhod One of them occurs the morning remember its qualities, and the more
(Chris Tucker) a hypermanic crossdress- after the first meeting of Charles and you’ll ignore the clinkers.
ing “interstellar radio personality,” Carrie, the main characters, and the Oh yes, see that picture of Hugh and
whose antics are either deeply offensive other takes place in the film’s final Andie on the front of the Blu-ray box?
or great fun, depending on your percep- scene. In between, fortunately, there It’s not in the movie.
ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine 77
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