The Best Man (2005)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Stefan Schwartz

Writers:

Ed Roe (writer)
Stefan Schwartz (writer)

Release Date:

19 January 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

May the best man win.

Plot:

A guy tries to help his best friend win the attention of the girl of his dreams. |

Plot Keywords:

Best Friend | Wedding | Cat | Love | Writer

Cast

Stuart Townsend	...	Olly Pickering
Raphael Schwartz	...	Olly Aged 2
Jacob Moriarty	...	Olly Aged 10
Callum Williams	...	Murray Aged 10
Seth Green	...	Murray
Steve John Shepherd	...	James
Simon Callow	...	Big-Time Publisher
Jodhi May	...	Tania
Máté Haumann	...	Work Experience (as Mate Haumann)
Anna Chancellor	...	Dana
Burn Gorman	...	Bus Driver
Ian Hanmore	...	Drunk
Raymond Coulthard	...	Chris
Mike Kelly	...	Party Bore
Philip Jackson	...	Mr. Barker

Also Known As:

Best Man, Worst Friend (USA) (TV title)
Ein Trauzeuge zum Verlieben (Germany)
Unhitched (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language.

Runtime:

Germany:96 min | Argentina:96 min

Country:

UK | Hungary | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:o.Al. | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Best Man Filmproduktions

Quotes:

Olly Pickering: I've been in love.
Sarah Marie Barker: You have? What was it like?
Olly Pickering: Some people say that the ground falls away beneath you but with me, it was as if I suddenly knew the ground was there, as though I could feel the entire planet right there beneath the soles of my feet.
Olly Pickering: Although I felt the same way when I went up the Empire State Building.

Movie Connections:

References Captain America (1944)

Soundtrack:

Less Talk More Action

Cheeky English chappy steals the show, and he isn't English!

I'm one of these people that loves to think that new romantic comedies can all be as good as Four Weddings and A Funeral, or Notting Hill, before I go to see them. But they can't, sadly.

However, they all have their place, and some of the better ones in recent memory (Just Like Heaven; So I Married an Axe Murderer; Addicted to Love) all have one thing in common: memorable characters put into memorable situations.

The Best Man/Unhitched does, but it isn't Stuart Townsend, who does a decent job of things as the leading man (and girls, he's just as cute but at least somewhat vulnerable unlike LeStat in Queen of the Damned). It isn't Amy Smart, who does a decent job of things as the leading lady (and fellas, she's every bit as cute as we remember her in Road Trip, and gets more screen time, thank the gods).

So who is it? Seth Green of course. And this little fella doesn't get my vote simply because I'm 5'5" like he is (give or take an inch or two). Instead it's because: his accent is really rather good; his character is fun and unpredictable; and we'd ALL be rooting for him or doing what he does in the movie, if our best mate needed our "help".

So is the script decent? Not bad. At times it doesn't flow, and the first half of the movie the dialogue and situations seem a little forced. But there IS an honesty in it, almost as though this or at least part of the premise has happened to the writers or someone they know. The second half of the movie is far better and moves along nicely.

The acting? Not bad. Everyone except Seth Green just does what is required of them and not much more. The Seth-meister (and I feel like I can call him that) is far more animated and approachable than his turns as Oz in Buffy, or in films like Rat Race and The Italian Job.

Can we believe the romance and the motivation behind Olly's (Townsend) actions? Somewhat. He's a bit of a wuss. "Come on Olly, catch a wakeup!" you'll be wanting to shout at the screen.

Will we feel like we enjoyed the past 90 minutes at the end of the movie? I sure did. I'm guessing if you go in with the same low-ish expectations as me then you will as well.

Verdict: 7 out of 10 - It's nothing special, but as a date movie, a cuddle-on-a-rainy-day-DVD or a pick-me-up after some bad news, it works...

Bonus Hollywood value: Seth Green should be teaching Don Cheadle (in Ocean's 11) how to do an English accent!