Putting the 'Dys' in Dysfunctional

When I see a movie like Margot at the Wedding, I can't help but be thankful that my own sister isn't a blunt, insensitive, unsupportive, bitchy, insulting, manipulative woman like the title character here is. As played by Nicole Kidman, she may be more of a villain than, say, Darth Vader or The Devil Wears Prada's Miranda Priestley. Her weapons are words, and when she arrives for her estranged sister's (Jennifer Jason Leigh) wedding, she gets under everyone's skin. Margot isn't in town for the wedding; she's there for a bookstore appearance with a man she's cheating on her husband with. She hates the groom (Jack Black). She doesn't keep secrets. She says all the wrong things and leaves emotional distruction in her wake. Noah Baumbach (who also wrote and directed the excellent The Squid and the Whale) has made a film that will ring true with anyone who has family (i.e.: everyone). It makes you laugh and cringe, sometimes simultaneously, and at 92 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome — though it does end sort of abruptly. This character piece is light on plot (not a bad thing in this case) and features some great performances. I'm giving it a B+.