Matrimonium

This film contains many quotable scenes, but the one that stands-out for me is when the Hostess is trying to describe the role DNA has in determining what we will become. She is talking to a set of parents, and says, "DNA determines if you will grow-up to be an elk or a piece of paper". Insanely brilliant!

The out takes and deleted scenes are worth it alone. But it actually has a very good story if you catch it. It is like watching an hour of highlights instead of an entire season of a reality show. The hostess, Andre Genous is bizarre, astute and out of this world - she just magically appears and captures the most inane qualities of any reality show host - this is one funny lady (from another planet). Other highlights were the best man and leading men - it looked like they were really friends and I cared what happened to them. Definitely worth seeing since it is one of those vids that is a 'you gotta watch this.' Never boring, no lulls, just fast-paced and really, really funny.

Enjoy, Jeff

Very clever. If they hadn't made this parody/mocumentary, then the industry probably would have made the real deal. Way to jump on a hilarious idea and follow through.

Solid improv performances by the whole cast. I especially loved Deven Green's performance as the Host who acts as though she's just stepped out of a horrific car accident unscathed, dazed and SERIOUSLY confused!! Hilarious subtleties. Watch her closely. She's very funny.

And kudos to Joel Bryant as the Best Man. Very real. Very funny. He's got some great lines; great zingers that perfectly cap the scene. He must have been a riot on set too. The DVD has some outtakes, and Joel was hilarious on them.

Overall, a very strong cast. Great characters.

I saw this film at the Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Film Festival this summer, and it was honestly one of the funnest movies I've ever seen. It was kinda ridiculous how much we (the audience) loved it. I mean, I was laughing so hard it literally hurt (i hate when people say that, but we were truly holding our stomachs! Wiping tears!) It was a great big hit at the festival, and the mood afterwards was a jubilant party.

It's a take-off on the reality TV rage that's taken over television. Even the format of the film is drawn for TV, because the film unfolds in half-hour 'episodes', complete with intros and outros...it's just like watching the complete season of a TV show on DVD, one episode after another. Anyway, the cast is bizarre and odd, and just right. Sandon Berg delivers an endearing performance as the center of the mayhem, and hunky Rick Federman succeeds opposite him. There's a surprise twist at the end which I won't divulge, but it comes from a surprising person, and provides a nice reality check.

Michael Akers' direction is smooth and brisk, as it should be for this type of lark. Kudos to United Gay Network for producing a film that strives beyond the narrow market of 'gay interest'.

Interestingly, I don't really think it's strictly, a gay-interest film. Instead, it's a 'general audiences' film that happens to have a gay element, like "My Best Friend's Wedding", and many other recent films.

Get this DVD, invite a small crowd of friends over! It's just plain ol', silly romp, with lots of quotes you'll be throwing around for weeks afterward.

First off, let me say that I hate ALL reality TV. Because I harbor this intense, seething hatred, I tend to relish anything that skewers, derides, and/or basically pokes fun at the reality TV 'genre'. This movie does just all of this, which in itself is worthy of high praise.

But this movie is so much more than a "two-minutes hate" on Reality TV.

Matrimonium uses the reality theme to spotlight several deeper topics, such as gay marriage, the sanctity of all marriage, and the general 'appropriateness' demonstrated in most reality TV.

Of course, the political flavor is just an undercurrent to the over-the-top hilarity of the whole thing. The loosely-scripted, improvisational style of the movie provides some great one liners that will require multiple viewings to fully process.

The actors do an very credible job of being non-actorish, "real" individuals caught on the show's cameras. The camera-work (and the show's 'hostess') are spot-on imitations of REAL reality TV programs.

All in all, even if I were an elk or a piece of paper, I would highly recommend this film. I can't wait to get it on DVD!

I hate reality shows. This "film" is a spoof of reality shows. It follows, then, that Matrimonium would appeal to me. And based on the plot description and others users' comments, it honestly did.

Then I sat down with on open mind and began to take in Matrimonium. As the film neared it's end, I realized that it was a complete and utter waste of my time. Only thing was, I was not near the end of the film. I was only 38 minutes in!

The problem wasn't that it just wasn't stimulating. It actually went the other way, and I can honestly say that I detested this despicable piece of drudgery. It has nothing to do with supporting or not supporting homosexuality or gay marriage or any of that. There was nothing innovative, provocative, nor amusing about this film. The "jokes" regarding stereotypes of homosexuals and southerners have been used to death and just aren't funny anymore. As for the message they were trying to get across; again, I've heard it all a millions times. Personally I agree with it, but anyone who does not certainly will not be swayed by this film. The production value was pretty bad, which I would readily dismiss had there been some sort of worthy content to hold my attention instead. The acting was about what you'd expect from this caliber of a production--nothing special, but not terrible.

I am a film student. I am very open to all forms of cinema and have experienced quite a wide selection of films. This includes quite a few downright terrible films. Rarely have I been so tempted to give up in the middle of a film as I was with Matrimonium. I persevered though, and I almost regret it. There were about two decent lines near the end of the film, which is the only merit I can attribute to this work. It is for these that I give this film no more than two stars.

I was stricken with awe when I saw a rating of 8.5 here at IMDb and I wonder if I watched the same film as these other voters. Well of course I did, which raises the question of whether or not sexual preference makes a difference in how a viewer relates to such a film. That is my only possible conclusion regarding such praise for such a terrible film.

*Edit: This movie no longer has a rating of 8.5 and I am glad to see it.