Destination Wedding

This story about two narcissistic, cynical characters could quickly have become irritating, but the tone stays light and prickly, and the enormously appealing stars have fine chemistry. Writer/director Victor Levin is perhaps best known for penning many episodes of the TV series Mad About You and directing another two-character piece (indie movie 5 to 7). He's very good at the kind of intellectually romantic dialogue on display in Destination Wedding, in which characters analyze their every move, even as their emotions chart a different course.

As director, Levin stages an admirably simple, almost experimental, movie, with the two stars performing largely in sustained two-shots, with an occasional reverse angle or cutaway and then a few beautiful "pillow" shots of San Luis Obispo to emphasize the leisurely weekend. No other characters really come into it; they're shown only at a distance and never heard speaking. The gentle score also elevates the mood, creating smiles out of supposedly downbeat conversations. Ryder and Reeves are, of course, old hands at this. They sink into their characters flawlessly and work together effortlessly. Their screen relationship began back in 1992 with Bram Stoker's Dracula and has lasted over the course of five movies, including this one. Destination Wedding is as weightless as a weekend getaway, but it's a treat.