The Drama

With just one week to go until their nuptials, the partially deaf 'Emma' (Zendaya) and 'Charlie' (Robert Pattinson) are nervously anticipating the big day. Planning is still incomplete as they sit down with friends 'Rachel' (Alana Haim) and her husband 'Mike' (Mamoudou Athie) for the onerous task of selecting the menu. The mushroom risotto seems to be a winner, though quite what was wrong with his idea of a cheeseburger I don't know, and so they turn their thoughts to the wine. A little tipsy, they begin to play a game that ends up with 'Emma' revealing something about her past that shocks all three others around the table. What now ensues illustrates just how the couple have to deal with the psychological consequences of her admission and slowly we begin to wonder if they might just not get married at all. Sure, some of the scenarios are a bit contrived but the writing presents us with some genuinely laugh out loud moments - especially as they discuss their photography schedule, and both Zendaya and Pattinson bounce off each other in such a fashion as to share their gradually increasing discomfort quite effectively with those of us watching. Her revelation, coupled with some fairly entertaining pre-wedding jitters, sets up an enjoyably dark comedy that's peppered with a little social commentary, a gentle critique of thirty-something yuppiedom and some fun observations of reactions, over-reactions and of having just a little too much wine and then opening your mouth. It does ebb and flow a little, and I can't say that the ending did much for me, but this takes a quirky look at just how easily loving relationships can be destabilised and it also stresses that if you are going to try to chat someone up by sharing thoughts on their book - make sure you've actually read it!

Most of us are no doubt familiar with the expression “You think you know somebody,” an often-highly disillusioned reaction that arises when we become aware of some kind of previously unknown deception involving someone that runs contrary to our beliefs about that person’s nature. The impact can be severe, too, particularly when it relates to someone close and centers on an especially shocking revelation. So imagine what it must be like when one learns something appalling about one’s fiancée only a few days before the wedding. What effect will such news have on the ceremony, not to mention the prospect of spending the rest of one’s life with that individual? That’s the question raised in this new dark comedy-drama from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli. As Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) finalize the details of their wedding day over drinks with their matron of honor, Rachel (Alana Haim), and best man, Michael (Mamoudou Athie), an impromptu conversation inadvertently leads to a lurid disclosure by the bride-to-be while in an inebriated state. To say more here would reveal too much, suffice it to say, however, that Emma’s unplanned admission upsets the entire apple cart – the ceremony, the continued participation of the wedding party members and even the future viability of the couple’s relationship. As the fallout unfolds and intensifies, viewers learn through flashbacks with the bride’s younger self (Jordyn Curet) how this scenario came into being, disclosures that raise even more questions and lead to an array of disruptive complications on multiple fronts. And, in the process, the narrative raises a host of hypothetical questions related to judgmentalism, atonement and forgiveness as examined from a variety of contradictory and complementary perspectives. It also places a very revealing mirror in front of each of the principals, exposing much about the character of these characters. Examinations of one’s own past thus come front and center, raising speculation about who among us has a legitimate right to be the one to cast the first stone. Therein lies “the drama” of “The Drama,” but this element is handled in a manner that’s far from being entirely dark. Indeed, much of the story falls back on wry wit and inspired satire with a hefty helping of in-your-face, no-holds-barred candor, the kind that might readily make some audience members squirm uncomfortably in their seats. As a consequence, this is a film that might well rub many viewers the wrong way, primarily because its content might hit a little too close to home. But, then, that’s not to be unexpected from a filmmaker known for readily drawing upon such sensibilities, as was seen in his most recent work, the masterfully crafted “Dream Scenario” (2023). Filmmaker Borgli has, arguably, topped that effort here in a film that’s superbly performed by its excellent ensemble cast (especially its two leads), an effort backed by its razor-sharp writing, deliciously devious plot twists and skillful film editing. Its many edgy sequences are punctuated with themes reminiscent of Woody Allen’s “Crimes and Misdemeanors” (1989) and segments staged not unlike those found in Bernhard Wenger’s “Peacock” (“Pfau – bin ich echt?”) (2024), qualities that place this offering in decidedly fine company. I’ll be the first to admit that “The Drama” won’t appeal to everyone, but those who appreciate its many risky virtues are sure to be riveted by this insightful production, one chock full of pathos, soul-searching and guilty chuckles, the kind of film that one won’t soon forget – and that just might leave us all a little more contrite in the end.