Margot at the Wedding

In 2005's The Squid and the Whale, Noah Baumbach told a semiautobiographical story about a disintegrating New York family in an insightful way. Margot at the Wedding also features a troubled brood, but these irritating people never seem genuine and aren't remotely emotionally engaging. Nicole Kidman stars as a sharp-tongued New York author, estranged from her husband, who unexpectedly arrives with her adolescent son at the coastal village where her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is about to marry a failed rocker (Jack Black). Margot, who hasn't been on speaking terms with Pauline for some time, claims that she wants to mend family fences, but her real interest lies in reconnecting with an old flame who lives nearby. Not surprisingly, Margot becomes a catalyst for trouble between Pauline and her intended, setting the stage for plenty of bickering, revelations, and confrontations, all presented at an uncomfortably high pitch. To make matters worse, the melodramatics are played out in a drab and unattractive visual environment, presumably to accentuate the parched emotional atmosphere. Ultimately, there's very little to celebrate at this Wedding. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 13-minute conversation with writer-director Noah Baumbach and costar Jennifer Jason Leigh, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)