Director: Doug Block
Country: USA
Runtime: 92 min
Rating: PG
Many people are inexplicably yet seriously fascinated by weddings and marriages. There is something about this ceremony and institution in particular that draws our attention, making it a primary subject and main axis on which many feature films rest. Now, a documentary film has taken a stab at capturing this topic in a whole new way. Director Doug Block presents 112 Weddings, a film that takes the topic of marriage and examines it from an unconventional angle. The result is a surprisingly raw and honest look at this institution that may not always be pleasant, but is full of moments of emotional truth and surprising affirmations.
In 112 Weddings, documentary filmmaker turned wedding videographer Block tracks down a number of the couples whose weddings he filmed to see how their relationships are doing years later. Block explains that while he only knew these couples for a very brief period of time, he became emotionally involved in each love story he documented, and speaks fondly of many couples. Some of the follow-up interviews are heart warming, while others are heartbreaking, but all leave a lasting impact on the viewer. Block also interviews nuptial experts such as a down-to-Earth rabbi who offer their own opinions on what makes a successful marriage work, as well as taking a behind the scenes look into the wedding process itself.
This documentary opens with Block’s friendly and inviting voice-over narration that sets the tone for a film that may visit dark places but remains light overall. It is clear that Block approached his wedding videography in a manner similar to his documentary filmmaking, as each video tells a story and is rife with lovely, artistic shots. Each couple involved is categorized by their names and wedding number in Block’s collection, a technique that lends the film a solid form and structure but is also quite a charming conceit. Each story that the film examines is very different, and, unfortunately but not unexpectedly, not all marriages were successful. Many diverse emotions are displayed on the screen, causing an empathetic audience to embark on an emotional roller coaster ride as well, and the fact that a film can have such an effect is undoubtedly a testament to its power.
112 Weddings is a valuable work of film not only due to the truths it reveals about love and marriage, but for the diversity it embraces as well. Block is sure to include a variety of relationships in his exploration, including a homosexual marriage and two domestic partnerships whose non-wedding ceremonies he had the pleasure of filming. Although these non-traditional unions are depicted as some of the most functional within the film, this work is not anti marriage, nor is it strongly in its favour. Instead, this film presents all ideas as valid and equal without making any judgements, allowing a viewer to decide what is best for them. The film is not full of happiness exclusively, as tragedy is present throughout as well, but every story appears genuine and real. This documentary will certainly leave one thinking, about the tales it depicts and all that they entail, and about the nature of love and the institution of marriage’s relationship with it.
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