Peter Bradshaw 

The Decoy Bride – review

Kelly Macdonald gives an attractive performance in a cheerfully absurd comedy-farce that pokes fun at the Richard Curtis romcom, writes Peter Bradshaw
  
  

2011, THE DECOY BRIDE
Gentle fun ... David Tennant and Kelly Macdonald. Photograph: Cinemanx/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar Photograph: Allstar/CINEMANX/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

This cheerfully absurd and laid-back comedy-farce comes from a TV director and is co-written by Sally Phillips, formerly of Smack the Pony and I'm Alan Partridge. It pokes gentle fun at the traditional Richard Curtis romcom. A writer called James (David Tennant) finds himself in a media firestorm on getting engaged to preening superstar Lara (Alice Eve). They try to avoid the press by marrying on a remote Scottish island, and pay a "decoy bride" to put the paparazzi off. This is a lonely, feisty local girl Katie, played by Kelly Macdonald. James and Katie find themselves spending time together, at first quarrelling and then … well, you know. It's indulgent, but Macdonald's performance is attractive and relaxed.

 

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