When
Cheryl finally asks out loud "What kind of counseling is this?", you wonder if
love will survive.
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In I Do and I
Don't, three weeks before their
wedding, Bob (Bryan
Callen) and Cheryl
(Alexie
Gilmore) discover they have not taken
the pre-marital classes
required by their Catholic
church. Their pastor
arranges private classes for
them with the Stelmacks
(Matt Servitto and
Jane Lynch), a
couple whose seventeen year
marriage is the definition
of dysfunctional lunacy. Bob and Cheryl are in love and blissfully ignorant of any secrets hiding in the nooks and crannies of each other hearts. Unfortunately the Stelmacks are determined to enlighten them, and encourage indiscriminate “sharing.” As the wedding approaches, Bob and Cheryl's emotional and physical scars accumulate. Will pre-martial counseling mess up their chances of making it down the aisle? |
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I Do & I Don't Reviewed by Mark Haines |
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 What
happens when a blissfully naive Catholic couple meets a relationship
challenged sex charged duo that are church sanctioned pre-marriage counselors?
The antics in this screwball comedy, I Do & I Don't begin as soon as the
film starts rolling.Stellar performances are the order of the day. Matt Servitto (playing Dick Stelmack) has moments of sheer brilliance reminiscent of John Belushi. The gorgeous but clumsy Bob (Bryan Callen) and Nora (Jane Lynch) literally steal the movie with their performances. Alexi Gillmore (playing Cheryl Murphy) is the only relatively sane character in the bunch and she plays the part perfectly. Wit the exception of one scene where the sound seemed a little amateurish, it's almost impossible to believe this is an Independent film made with a budget of less than $500,000. It just goes to show that you don't need ridiculously expensive sets and over-rated special effects to make a first-class film. Good directing along with a great script and cast are all that is necessary to deliver the goods.
The movie begins at the bride's family house where Bob is trying to make a good impression on his future in-laws and is instead fumbling around from one embarrassing moment to the next. Before long the in-laws discover that the about to be newlyweds haven't attended their pre-marriage counseling. Somehow it becomes Bobs fault, and the parish priest, in an attempt to save the day, recommends one on one counseling with a long time married couple. If the priest only knew what he set in to motion! Nobody in their right mind would ever let this couple and their wacked out kid counsel anyone, but that's what it's all about. From discovering that your future husband let his best friend put his finger up his butt to sharing with near strangers that you fooled around with your fiancés best friends, honesty might not be the best policy. There are nudist colonies and car wrecks to keep the righteous moments coming one after another. Throughout the movie sex charged Cougar, Nora is cornering Bob everywhere she can. From grocery stores to heavy breathing phone calls, she can't keep her hands to herself and reveals her thoughts out loud in the most outlandish ways. Bob's reactions vary from "did that really just happen" to "wow she thinks I'm hot" and you keep waiting for him to finally give in. But does Nora want it if she can have it? Amazingly, Nora makes everything Bob's fault in the same way Cheryl's family does.
If you're looking for the deeper meaning of relationships, this is not your movie. I Do & I Don't is plain and simply a balls to the wall madcap comedy. I Do & I Don't is showing at the 2008 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Go and see it opening night!
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