‘Celebrating Life’ in Cinema: My Worst Wedding – Culture

Recycling has a future. Even moviegoers who don’t throw away empty nacho bowls and drunk buckets of Coke know this all too well. But they think recycling is great on screen, as the viewing figures for all the sequels, prequels, reboots or revivals of tried-and-tested material prove. Without such formats, cinemas could close today. The programming recipe applies: it has to be a little new, but not too much. Which brings us to “A Celebration of Life”: TV director Richard Hooper’s debut film has great audience potential, as it is suitably cast, written and acted. There’s even reason to laugh, which doesn’t happen automatically in German comedies.

Only this comedy is not new, it is a remake of the hit French film “Le sens de la fête”. This was also shown in German cinemas five years ago under the title “Life is a Celebration.” Not only are many people watching them there, films from neighboring European countries often have an artistic flair, regardless of style or genre. The story is told quickly: A wedding planner organizes the most beautiful day of the bride and groom’s lives, but everything that could go wrong does go wrong. So it’s a matter of escalation – and the organizer’s deplorable behavior is what ensures it: his assistant has an aggression problem, and the singer sees himself as a failed rock star. A crazy temporary waiter and the other one loves the bride. Then there is the photographer who would rather eat the buffet than take pictures.

Does the bolognese really have to be there? Yes, she should

We know this from the French original, as the German version has a high recycling rate. The castle, the wigs, the fireworks: they’re all the same. The cast also depends on recognition: Christophe Maria Herbst has proven himself in remakes of successful French films, and “First Name” (after “Le prénom”) and “Contra” (after “Le Brio”) were box office successes, thanks to, Among other things, to share. Herbst is an experienced leading man, there’s more to him than a popular comedian, in-demand audiobook voice, and the eternal Stromberg. Even when he’s multitasking and suffering from migraines, he doesn’t let himself be let out of his reserve, neither by his employees nor by his clients. He almost patiently endures the chaos, accidents and pressures to achieve perfection, without which such celebrations seem no longer possible. Only when a tax investigation threatens does he back down.

There’s still the matter of napkins: while the groom in the original wants to forbid waving them because it’s too ostentatious for him, his German counterpart has no desire to eat bolognese—for exactly the same reason. He told singer Mark Hausmann that the celebration should be “simple, elegant and elegant.” Well, he says: “Simple, elegant, swashbuckling.” Shortly afterwards, guests walk through the castle garden chanting: “Holes are about to fly out of the cheese here.”

This is clearly German, otherwise the story is told in such a generic way that it could take place anywhere. Creators Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache (who had a global hit with “Pretty Best Friends” a dozen years earlier) were relying on Hollywood standards of comedy, and their film has a manic pace. The German remake can’t or doesn’t want to keep up, but events escalate just as quickly – and resolve just as quickly again. It’s about the effect, not the consequences, not the musicians’ digestive upset, forgotten dishes or spoiled food. If everything can be solved, it can also be easily recycled.

A celebration of life2023 – Directed and screenplay: Richard Hopper. Starring: Christophe Maria Herbst, Cynthia Mekas, Mark Hausmann. Warner Bros., 102 minutes. Cinema release: October 19, 2023