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Imagine a scenario in which you are forced into a scenario where you must marry the child of a criminal family in order to pay off a debt. Imagine finding yourself attracted to this person, making you much more willing to agree to this arrangement, but the catch is that you cannot engage in any physical intimacy with your new spouse. Would you agree to take part in this arranged marriage? And what would you do should your in-laws’ criminal background come into the forefront and pose a serious risk to you and your spouse? These are the questions at the center of the subject of today’s discussion, the action/romantic comedy film “You May Not Kiss the Bride”.
The film revolves around Bryan, a pet photographer who has found himself in serious debt with a local crime family. Vlatko, the Croatian-born patriarch of the family, arranges for Bryan to marry his daughter Masha in order for him to pay his debt and to allow Masha to acquire a green card. Vlatko forbids Bryan from touching his daughter, but nonetheless allows the two to spend a honeymoon in Tahiti. Things take a turn for the worse however when Brick, Masha’s ex-boyfriend, and two INS agents kidnap Masha, forcing Bryan to take drastic measures. With the help of the resort waitress Lani and her helicopter-flying cousin Ernesto, Bryan sets out to find his wife and simultaneously avoid the wrath of both her kidnappers and his father-in-law.
It takes a certain amount of talent in order to make the absurdity of such a premise somewhat plausible, and thankfully there are more than enough noteworthy talents to make this film in particular a delightful watch. Television actor Dave Annable, best known for his role in the late-2000’s series “Brothers and Sisters”, plays the lead Bryan, while his wife Masha is portrayed by Katharine McPhee, who made a name for herself as the lead in the short-lived but lauded series “Smash”. Among the cast’s supporting players are Kathy Bates, recently nominated for an Academy Award for her role in “Richard Jewell”, as Bryan’s enthusiastic mother; Rob Schneider, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and frequent collaborator with Adam Sandler, as the insane helicopter pilot Ernesto; and Tia Carrere, known to most for her roles in “Wayne’s World” and “Lilo and Stitch”, as Lani, a resort waitress who assists Bryan in finding Masha.
Mixing action, comedy, and romance into a single narrative is no easy task, but “You May Not Kiss the Bride” shows no difficulty in maintaining this necessary balance. With a solid cast and solid script and direction from Rob Hedden, the film is every bit as exciting as it is hilarious and heartwarming. For those seeking escapism, this is the perfect film to watch, and you can now find the film on iTunes and Vimeo and see for yourself how much fun this film can be.
