“You shut your mouth when you’re talking to me!” is a line we hear minutes into the 2005 comedy great that is Wedding Crashers. The line comes from an angry lady who is trying to settle divorce papers with her husband who sits across the table. Also sitting at this table are divorce mediators John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn) who are simply trying to settle things between the two. Thankfully the film is not about dealing with divorce it’s about happier events like weddings where the main focus is. The two frequently sneak into weddings to charm their way into bed with women for a one night stand. The duo always have cover stories for inquisitive guests but usually just say they are uncle Ned’s kids which is fair enough because everybody has an uncle Ned right. Their success is also down to a set of “wedding crashing rules” given to them by a retired crasher (Will Ferrell). They both promise to stick to those rules (all 115 of them) when Jeremy persuades John to join him on what could be the biggest crash of all time, the secretary of the United States is marrying off his eldest daughter. The secretary played by Christopher Walken is a very powerful man and is first seen walking his daughter down the aisle. This is where we see John set his sights and eventually fall for the secretary’s other daughter Claire (Rachel McAdams). Jeremy is then left with her “clinger” sister Gloria (Isla Fisher) which he is not happy about. Gloria then invites them both to stay the weekend at their family compound which pleases John.  Jeremy eventually agrees to be there for his buddy as he needs more time with Claire.

Right from the get go there is so much energy as we watch scenes of partying, people laughing, and montages of dancing with a soundtrack that is spot on. The song that is used here is the famous “Shout” by the Isley brothers which sets the tone for the whole movie with its feel good vibe. The movie’s fast pace with gag after gag can leave you breathless with its gut-bustingly funny humour. The humour is rude but not overly crude as it finds the perfect balance which is complemented by the two leads Vaughn & Wilson. The chemistry between these two is tremendous as they bounce off one another with their metaphorical responses. Even when the plot dents the mood a little towards the end the comedy duo still manage to keep us giggling along. At the house a game of touch football takes place and it is here we are introduced to Claire’s over competitive boyfriend played by the now Oscar nominated Bradley Cooper. It is an unexpected portrayal from Cooper as he plays a real jerk (and I mean a real jerk) that even he wasn’t sure he was right for the part. This character even makes the two people who lie their way into weddings to sleep with women more likeable. You feel when watching the film that the two crashers actually make the parties better with their whole presence and energy. Wedding crashers is a sophisticated comedy with a smart script which is what is lacking in today’s comedies. Are people laughing at the cinema nowadays? Cooper is a good lead in the soon to be hangover trilogy but it lacks realism and depth. Speaking of depth, the cast that director David Dobkin put together is one quality assemble. Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Christopher Walken, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Jane Seymour, Bradley Cooper and comedy genius himself Will Ferrell. Even though Mr Ferrell only has a small part at the end he does actually produce one of the best comedy scenes of all time, well for me it is the best. Surely the best comedy in years must contain the funniest scene and it does just when you thought it couldn’t get any better. We witness this scene at the perfect time as the situation between everyone becomes a little depressing. Then to watch Will Ferrell at the top of his comedic game with dialogue that is wickedly hilarious is something literally genius. You actually find yourself laughing along with Ferrell and Wilson throughout and not only here but also with other cast members in other scenes. It looks like I’m not the only one who thinks this is the best scene of the best as it boasts nearly one and a half million views on YouTube.

“Baba Ganoush” is what you hear a number of times as a nickname for Vaughn’s character. Over the years I and others have wondered where this came from as there is no explanation to why John calls Jeremy this. From what I have gathered listening to the commentary from Wilson and Vaughn on the DVD, is that Baba Ganoush (Middle Eastern dip made with eggplants) was part of the set food one day and somehow made its way into the movie. The rich setting of where the majority of the film takes place instantly puts its audience in a happy and vibrant mood. A number of scenes take place at and around the huge family compound which include a hunting scene, sailing, American football and a famous dinner scene with the whole family. The relationships in the film are brilliant as they chop and change.

The first time we see McAdams and Wilson together we instantly see a believable attraction between the two. The very talented McAdams becomes more loveable as the film goes on with Wilson agreeing. Also the relationship between Jeremy and Gloria strengthens which you wouldn’t have expected from the earlier stages. Isla Fisher puts in a great performance which contributes to the laugh after laugh with her crazy mood swings. A lot of credit does have to go to the writers and director of this piece, but a little more for Vaughn and Wilson for making it work. The chemistry between these two comedic heavyweights throughout the movie is terrific; they are totally in tune with each other. Hopefully this will be the same as they collaborate once again as they head to Google in “The Internship”. The two lose their jobs and they have to resort to taking an internship with a younger bunch at Google. It will not live up to the heights of crashing weddings of course but you will probably witness them crashing the system so it’s definitely worth taking the intern this summer. Underneath all the rude jokes and raunchy episodes is actually a romantic love story which is well hidden. The film starts off as a guy-orientated sex comedy and then turns into a wish-fulfilment chick flick as the two leads just want somebody to love. This is why Wedding Crashers is a comedy not only for men but for women too with the inclusion of the sweet romantic storyline. What is also great is a happy ending which leaves everybody satisfied. If you’re thinking of crashing a few weddings with the summer fast approaching I recommend that you stick to as many of Chazz Reinhold’s one hundred and fifteen rules as you can. Life’s a party. Crash it.