Hot Docs 2014 Review: 112 Weddings
We’ve all seen wedding videos. Whether it is that of our parents, cousins, siblings, or friends, they’re really all the same. The smiles, the family, the shaky camera; these are the things we see while watching wedding videos. Everyone seems to be quite happy at the event, but do you ever stop to wonder, “What’s next?”
In his new documentary, wedding videographer Doug Block asks just that question. While Block considers himself a filmmaker, he has paid the bills over the years by shooting 110 weddings (with two more in production, hence the title). Jewish, Christian, young, old, gay, lesbian, high school sweethearts, to 2nd marriages – over the past twenty years Doug has captured it all.
Now, Block has decided to go back and check in with his stars. Some of the couples on display are still together, some are divorced, and others have been separated by tragic circumstances. Audiences will laugh as the couple from wedding 28 takes jabs at each other, and cry as the couple number 49 describes the tragic loss of their daughter. One man, whose wife does not appear, describes how his marriage fell apart after one of his screenplays got turned into a film starring Mandy Moore.
Block brings up the fact that statistically only 50% of marriages succeed. This leads us to question whether it is really worth the trouble to get married in the first place. 112 Weddings will surely help viewers decide that for themselves, and they’ll also get to watch a pretty enthralling documentary at the same time.
[star v=35]