Confetti
Christopher Guest ought to sue for plagiarism. Not only does British filmmaker Debbi Isitt crib his mixture of loose, improvisational scenes and documentary-style confessionals, she also rips off the let’s-put-on-a-show structure of Guest’s “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind.” Isitt follows three couples picked by a glossy wedding magazine to compete for the most original wedding of the year. Only one of the three couples actually seems right for each other — they want a wedding inspired by Busby Berkeley musicals, even though the bride is tone deaf. The others — a tennis-obsessed yob and his Canadian partner, and a naturist and his less clothing-averse fiancee — are divorces waiting to happen. “Confetti” gets chuckles along the way and some solid improvisational work from the likes of Martin Freeman (Britain’s “The Office”), as the male half of the musical couple, and comedian Jimmy Carr as the magazine’s blithe, irresponsible publisher. (”Not everyone wants to ruin their wedding with a gimmick,” he muses. “Some do.”) But the movie often feels strained and wan. You may despair at the pace at which title cards announce how many weeks are remaining until the big weddings. Then, once the big day arrives, Isitt tries too hard to send audiences out with smiles on their faces, undercutting the movie’s mild satirical bite.