The Decoy Bride (2012)

20% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
44% of users liked it
(563 ratings)

When the wedding of internationally famous film star Lara Tyler (Alice Eve) to tweedy English author James Arber (David Tennant) is sabotaged by a paparazzo, they decide to relocate the event to the one place where the world's press won't find them: the sleepy Island of Hegg, as featured in James'… More When the wedding of internationally famous film star Lara Tyler (Alice Eve) to tweedy English author James Arber (David Tennant) is sabotaged by a paparazzo, they decide to relocate the event to the one place where the world's press won't find them: the sleepy Island of Hegg, as featured in James' bestselling novel The Ornithologists Wife. However, dilapidated buildings and greedy islanders are the least of the problems that the wedding party and their Hollywood entourage have to deal with, as Marco (Federico Castelluccio) the ingenious paparazzo tracks them down in his mission to photograph the celebrity wedding of the year. Steve and his assistant Emma (Sally Phillips) must find a decoy bride and think that local girl Katie (Kelly MacDonald) will be an ideal replacement. But when Katie meets James, sparks fly, dresses get ruined and love gets complicated. -- (C) IFC

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Sheree Folkson
Written By: Sally Phillips, Neil Jaworski
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 9, 2012 Limited
On DVD: Jun 26, 2012
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
Instead of working to clarify its high-concept contrivances, the romantic comedy "The Decoy Bride" jettisons logic and detail for silly-quirky rompiness.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
A bland romantic comedy in the Richard Curtis style, The Decoy Bride is mainly notable for its proof, if any was needed after Boardwalk Empire, that Kelly Macdonald is a major talent.
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times
Cupid works in strange and sometimes very funny ways, as this charming, nontaxing comedy directed by Sheree Folkson makes clear.
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
Pernicious tripe suitable only for masochists and the intellectually disabled...
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
A woefully pedestrian effort, meant for background noise at a bridal shop, not a feature film that requires the purchase of a ticket.
Matt Bochenski, Little White Lies
Possibly the worst thing ever in world history.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
It should have been called "I Know Where I'm Gurning".
Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com
The Scottish landscapes offer about the only highlight.
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
A romcom you almost feel sorry for, like a wedding where half the guests drown.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
It's indulgent, but Macdonald's performance is attractive and relaxed.
Henry Fitzherbert, Daily Express
The cast has charm, and some of lines raise a chuckle, but the story lacks pace, plausibility and surprise.
Jason Best, Movie Talk
Writer Sally Phillips throws in the odd sharp line (love-shy Katie describes herself as 'a man-vegan') but the clumsily contrived plot and a lack of spark between McDonald (engaging) and Tennant (surprisingly under-par) throw the film fatally off course.
Jeremy Aspinall, Radio Times
Folkson's feature debut owes much to It Happened One Night and the Ealing comedies, but without doing justice to either.
Alison Willmore, AV Club
It seems to agree with its gossip journalists that celebrities are an exotic alien species placed on earth to be gawked at, waited on by personal entourages, and mocked behind their backs for their odd enthusiasms and incomprehensible emotions.
Elliott Noble, Sky Movies
Nobody's forecasting gales of laughter, but it'll give your pipes a canny wee toot.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Disappointing British romcom that fails to provide either romance or comedy, thanks to a patchy script, some awkward direction and a painful lack of chemistry between the embarrassed-looking leads.
Siobhan Synnot, Scotsman
In a script so heavily cut it could be a paper doily, what's left is vaguely cute, rather predictable and wholly insubstantial.
Calum Marsh, Slant Magazine
The film recognizes how resolutely derivative it is, and it deigns to relish rather than efface that quality. The result is a trifle, but a fairly amusing one.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

"The Decoy Bride" starts with a shell game to distract the press from the true setting of the wedding between movie star Lara Tyler(Alice Eve) and author James Arber(David Tennant). And it looks like they are successful until it turns out that paparazzi Marco… More
"The Decoy Bride" starts with a shell game to distract the press from the true setting of the wedding between movie star Lara Tyler(Alice Eve) and author James Arber(David Tennant). And it looks like they are successful until it turns out that paparazzi Marco Ballani(Federico Castelluccio) has been waiting a good long time in wait for them to show up. With the wedding ruined and running out of alternatives, James muses half in-jest about getting married in outer space.(It's funny he should mention that...) Instead, they go for the next best thing at a remote island in the Outer Hebrides which the vikings never bothered with and neither did James when he was writing his novel "The Ornithologist's Wife" about it. Making a less than triumphant return is Katie Nic Aoidh(Kelly Macdonald) to take care of of her ailing mother(Maureen Beattie) and just in time for the wedding of her ex, Angus(Hamish Clark). Enter the meddling monk. "The Decoy Bride" is a funny and charming throwback to the golden age of screwball comedies that a game cast handles well, especially the winsome Kelly Macdonald. As such, the movie is definitely predictable but it also has more than its share of moments. Much of the story is concerned with how we lose all perspective when it comes to celebrities and the idea of the perfect wedding when the important thing is finding the right person to be with.