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3 Guys, 1 Girl, 2 Weddings

Picture This! // Unrated // February 14, 2006
List Price: $26.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]

Review by Raymond So | posted April 24, 2006 | E-mail the Author
The Movie:
'3 Guys, 1 Girl, 2 Weddings' is a light-hearted French comedy that can best be described as a gay 'My Best Friend's Wedding.' This is a story that has been told before, even in other gay-themed films: Gay boy loves his straight best friend. They are happy with the boundaries established in their relationship. A woman arrives in the straight guy's life. Suddenly, the comfortable friendship shared by the two buddies is threatened by this new arrival. The gay boy feels himself losing the special relationship he has as the straight guy falls increasingly for the new woman. The gay boy realizes more and more how much he loves his straight friend and will do anything to break up the new lovers. Will he succeed at ending this intrusion on their friendship? Even better, will he actually be able to "turn" his friend and realize the true love of his life? This all leads to the inevitable confrontation and moment of truth at the wedding altar.

Despite the familiar ground covered by this film's premise, the story is fortunately executed in a fun way with clever twists and original turns that keep the movie from feeling formulaic. The plot moves along at a quick pace, and the soundtrack and editing give the film a lively 'Queer As Folk' feel. The comedy moments are funny without being outrageous, and the film does a good job of not depending on stereotypical gay caricatures for comedic effect. The characters are likeable and believable. While some characters are a bit effeminate, the film thankfully avoids using the over-the-top "flaming queen" performances relied upon all too frequently to create humor. It is easy to relate to the characters and their situation regardless of your own sexual orientation.

The DVD

Video:
The film is presented in its original widescreen ratio. Colors are vibrant and crisp, and there is a bright, airy feeling throughout the film. Motion is handled without artifacting, but there is a slight blurriness in some background elements. There is a lack of detail in room decor or people in the background of certain scenes, but unless you are purposely focused on video quality, this issue is not prominent enough to be distracting to casual viewers.

Sound:
The movie's spoken language is French, with optional English and Spanish subtitles. Audio is available in Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 stereo. We reviewed this disc using the 5.1 track and with English subtitles on. The film uses an upbeat dance music soundtrack that matches the light-hearted tone of the story. The music portions sound great, with lots of bass that gives a real dance club feel. The rest of the audio, including voices, is clear and balanced. This is not the type of movie that needs to rely much on audio effects, but the sound mix is handled quite well and effectively.

Extras:
Extras include the typical chapter selections, and trailers for this movie and other features from this studio. Also included is a 10-minute "Behind The Scenes" featurette. This consists of various members of the cast and crew, including the director, discussing their goals with this film. While there are some scenes from the actual filming of the feature, mostly, the commentary is done in static environments. We learn the interesting fact that this was a made-for-TV movie, and the filmmakers reveal some limitations caused by having to create a feature with content acceptable for broadcast. The actors also discuss their motivations for playing their characters and how they attempted to portray them in a way that would avoid stereotypical behaviors. The featurette is presented in full-frame, with English subtitles and a 2.0 audio track.

Final Thoughts:
This was an enjoyable, feel-good feature with likeable characters and believable performances. There is a sub-plot involving the fight for gay marriage rights that is timely and adds some originality to the storyline. Some might criticize the film for rehashing the overdone boy-wants-boy-who-wants-girl theme, but this film manages to tell the tale without feeling formulaic or tired. The film's title may seem strange at first, as there appear to be only two guys and one wedding involved, but we promise by the end of the film, the title will make sense. The pacing is lively and keeps you interested. Still, it is a bit of a throwaway feature by nature, and not one likely to stay in your long-term memory. The premise is handled well enough, but the characters and story are not developed as fully as could be. In the featurette, the filmmakers even acknowledge this flaw as one inherent to creating a TV movie for mass consumption. Thus, while we can recommend this movie as a perfectly pleasant way to spend 90 minutes, it is unlikely to be added to your list of favorites.

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