Margot at the Wedding

Margot at the Wedding

Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicole Kidman, Jack Black
Written by: Noah Baumbach
Directed by: Noah Baumbach


Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is getting married to Malcolm (Jack Black) and her estranged sister Margot (Nicole Kidman) is coming to the wedding and bringing her son Claud. The reasons for the estrangement are not made clear till almost the end of the film, but its obvious from the outset that Margot is a very difficult woman. She tells her son everything, even though hes only about 13 and what she tells him is completely inappropriate, such as letting him know his aunt is pregnant before shes even told her husband to be.
We soon find out that Margot has run away from her husband, and left him and her elder son. Claud is unaware of this, as is Margot's sister. This is shown through phonecalls to him where she tells him 'its happening and youll just have to get used to it.' She had left a letter for him instead of telling him to his face. He seems to be a kind, loving and supportive husband but Margot cannot seem to accept his love and wittingly or not ruins every chance she has at happiness.
From the first meeting with Malcolm, Margot's disapproval is obvious. He's an unemployed musician/artist and he is living with Pauline in the house her parents gave her, obviously another bone of contention for Margot. She feels that he is not good enough for Pauline and will only bring her down. Her feelings are so strong that the wedding is even being threatened by her actions.
Immediately the sisters fall back into their childhood patterns of interaction. The impatience and irritation flares up instantly although they haven't seen each other in a number of years. Margot is an interefering woman, causing problems with the neighbours and insisting a gay couple have their son tested for autism, even though there's apparently nothing wrong with him.
The movie is tortuous in moments, the awkardness that Margot brings to almost every situation is heightened by the obvious irritation she instills in everyone even though the try really hard with her, and she does not try with anyone.

Following on from his Oscar winning movie 'The Squid and the Whale', Noah Baumbach has another biting satirical look at family life and the pain we cause each other. It is a slow moving film and may not appeal to all, being sorely realistic at times.