The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
AFTER THE WEDDING
★★★★★
(12)
Isabel (Michelle Williams) lives in Kolkata in West Bengal, where she has cast aside the trappings of her formative years in America to co-found an orphanage.
A rich benefactor – businesswoman Theresa Young (Julianne Moore) summons Isabel to New York to agree a charitable donation to shore up the orphanage’s finances.
Theresa cannot sign the paperwork until after the weekend, when her daughter Grace (Abby Quinn) is due to marry nice guy Frank (Will Chase). The businesswoman extends an invitation to an impatient Isabel, who agrees to attend to secure the funds.
Arriving late for the lavish ceremony, Isabel is shocked to discover that she recognises Theresa’s husband, gifted sculptor Oscar Carlson (Billy Crudup).
Their shared history threatens to derail Grace’s fairytale nuptials.
Williams delivers a masterclass in minimalist expression and Oscarwinner Moore seizes every opportunity to wring tear-soaked pathos from her character’s anguished situation.
However, the well-oiled mechanics of the central story obscure any raw emotion among the protagonists.