A tad bit depressing and dark for me, I kept hoping some of the characters would break free from their cynicism, angst, etc. What I liked most about this movie was the soundtrack. Although much of it was part of the scene and a distant, hardly audible stereo playing in the background, still it was very good.

So far the worst movie I've seen. The characters can't be thought to be real. Some of the actors and actresses -and now I think for rather Kidman were worst than ever and still I don't mention Jack Black whom I always hated and his "acting stuff" is just a joke. He has no place in a "drama", but this whole story was rather a real bad joke and an ironic tale about a nonsense and "can't be real" family. That's just the pie in the sky that the movie couldn't tell me anything important, every single event and thing were absolutely predictable and had no sense. Probably something went wrong during the scrip-writing or during telling the actors what to do.

I was stumbling on the internet and found this movie, and with a cast of the likes of Nicole Kidman, seeing Jack Black (who I passionately dislike) doing a dramatic role, and some minor roles with Ciarán Hinds, I thought it was worth the shot and I was right.Basically the movie is about Margot (Kidman), whose sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is getting married with a struggling artist, Malcolm (Jack Black), and decides to attends to the wedding days before it actually takes place, even though both sisters haven't spoken in years. Both sisters share moments and secrets that afterwards are revealed, and both sisters do not agree on how the other is carrying her life, and while their pre-adolescent kids get acquainted, their lives start taking a certain turn.I loved the acting in this movie, Nicole Kidman most of her work is flawless, and this is no exception, I can think of maybe 2 or 3 actresses that may have been able to carry the role of Margot as great as she did, but I'm sure Nicole was the best fit as the self-centered, judge and troubled Margot, who is juggling with the idea of leaving her husband while having an affair. Jennifer Jason Leigh, honestly i don't think I've ever seen her before, but she was perfect in this role and Pauline, the insecure, persuasive sister. I think Jack Black, who plays the groom who pretends he doesn't care about other people's opinions, did a good job here, actually in this movie I laughed more than in any of his comedy roles, I sure hope that was meant to happen. He was the only one who actually knew what was going on in the house, and was honest enough to reveal his secret to his bride before the wedding, but only because he was under a lot of pressure. I'm going to make a special mention to Ciarán Hinds, who may have had maybe 10 minutes of screen time, but his character Dick was important in the story as Margot's lover, who shakes Margots foundations and leaves her emotionally shattered in public, and then literally kicks butts (or butt).I actually enjoyed this movie, the relationships were very well portrayed, real, a film that undresses a family that is supposed to be on the verge of one of the happiest moments of a person's life: a wedding. In the end, we're all humans, and sometimes we don't like how human flaws are portrayed and showed to us.

Don't waste your time or money-this one stinks really REALLY BADLY!! This film makes the Royal(flush it down the toilet)Tenenbaums look like a masterpiece!! The only reason I rented this smelly turd was because we live in the very town-East Quogue, where some of it was filmed...so naturally we had to check it out. Boy, what a mistake that was!! Can even remember having Main Street(Montauk Hwy) closed down for a day or two while they filmed-thanks Noah, the inconvenience and intrusion definitely wasn't worth it!! Plus they shot some other scenes nearby, I believe it might have been Red Creek-a really beautiful area-such a waste of some great scenery. I think I even stood behind the food crew on the "express" checkout line one morning at the local supermarket-I swear!! (buying what seemed like a half million dollars worth of food-at least ten cases of bottled water, must have been for Nicole's sustenance). I even saw the van as they loaded it up, I guess Hollywood has to make a big production out of everything. Sorry-I'm beginning to sound like this movie-haha. Anyway...This film pushed our patience, in the sense of "when is this movie going to start getting interesting". My wife and I unfortunately had to wait until nearly the end before the one scene that showcased our tiny town revealed itself. Ouch, what an agonizing wait. Even my wife thought this was painful to watch, and she gravitates towards these kind of flicks. Awful, AWFUL dialogue. Silly, banal bickering one minute, followed by seemingly hollow, half-hearted apologies and reconciliations the next. Over and OVER and OVER again-the whole movie was pretty much that. I'm not sure what Baumbach was thinking when he wrote the screenplay, and then directed this junk. Sure he had some success with "The Squid and the Whale"-which we both liked... But I guess he thinks he can just expand the wackiness-dysfunctional-kooky factor and sprinkle in some dull, laughless humor and voilà, he's got a viewable movie-well WRONG!! This movie tries too hard to be off-center, dysfunctional and wacky. I agree with other posters that while some people find these introspectives of nutjobs' lives amusing, most of us find them dull, boring and almost unlifelike. Main stream folks have their problems, but not like this.Want more? Really dopey dialogue throughout most of this film(did I just say that-well it's worth repeating), bad casting-read Jack Black, that Pais kid was rather pathetic too, horrible editing at times, several shots that just totally did not match up, hey that should never happen in this day and age, and a lousy plot... This film is just a total waste of time and space(on anyone's DVD shelf). Avoid this stinker at any cost!! Even a 99-cent rental!!!