The most beautiful thing about the cinematography in Rachel Getting Married is its stream-of-consciousness style. The camera is treated as just another character in the film, playing the role of an observer–an attendee at the ceremony. It lets go of the grip of being some omnipresent being, putting a frame around the puppet show taking place within its borders, in favor of taking a step back and letting the characters carry out their own portion of the plot. In doing this, we are thrown into the shoes of nearly every soul that makes it into the frame. The characters create a world that makes that in other films feel static and hazy. Each one has a strong presence, and the camera work is what sets it off.
I am so tired of seeing the generic alternating L-cut close-ups that are supposed to encompass a tense, plot-driving dialogue, which are seen in nearly every movie and TV show. They seem to me like a cop-out for somebody who doesn’t know how to frame a conversation effectively. That said, it’s extremely refreshing to see somebody think out of the box, and proceed to pull it off.
The style in Rachel Getting Married reminded me of L’enfant. After a two-hour laissez-faire dysfunctional love-fest, we’re left with a feeling that the characters aren’t any better off than they were in the beginning. This could alienate some audiences, but it’s great for me, considering that the movies I tend to really like generally always end up this way.
And I’ve gotta say, it’s refreshing to see Anne Hathaway in a good movie, for once.
