The Best Man starring Richard Coyle, Keeley Hawes and Toby Stephens

Mike (Richard Coyle) tries to kill himself. From the beginning of the movie, we are given hints here and there through flashback that he and his best friend Peter (Toby Stephens) might not have the healthiest relationship- not with each other and definitely not with others. Mike spends time in a mental institution where his therapist suggests that he should move on from Peter. This doesn’t seem that difficult at first, especially not since he has fallen for Kate (Keeley Hawes), another patient. When they leave, Mike moves out of his place with Peter and moves in with her. Peter decides to let his hostility go and tries to get along with Kate. Or at least pretends to. And for a while everything is okay. However, as the audience is given more and more hitns about how dark a secret these two old friends might be keeping since they were teenagers, we know it is silence before the storm. The silence breaks when Mike and Kate decide to get married and Peter sees someone from their past. From then on, Peter will crash the honeymoon, try to drive Kate and Mike apart. And just when you think he has failed, he just might succeed…

And no, the last line for the summary is not the summary. The movie is made for TV and it consists of two parts so it’s not short. The honery moon is like the beginning of a nightmare.

Now, for the most part, this is a smart,intense and intelligent movie. It balances drama well with suspense. It is not pretentious and it doesn’t usually try to be smarter than the audience. However, its potential eventually lets you know.

This is a good film with some good acting but the closer you get to the climax, the closer this UK film gets to a an average American thriller. You know, you have guessed the killer right. And there are blonde women acting not so intelligently. And the dreaded part where you guess the exact ending…

I’ll give it to the screenwriter that it is not always predictable and it provided some nice surprises. The sad part is, you get the predictability at the places you wish you hadn’t.

The best thing about the film is no doubt Richard Coyle. I am guessing it would and could have been a more intense and chilling experience, had I found the film’s DVD. I had to watch it in many party on youtube. And there is no doubting Coyle’s acting talent because his Jeffish haircut, he totally makes you forget his Coupling character Jeff Murdoch as soon as the credits roll. Toby Stephens and Kelley Hawes are good too. I think the “wrongfully framed son” should have gotten more screen time and more reasoning on how on earth he could have gotten “framed” or at least suspected terribly.

It could have been an 8. It is a 6/10 drama/thriller with 7 and 8 moments.  Despite the ending, it is worth seeing. You can watch it on youtube.

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Tags: drama, Keeley Hawes, Richard Coyle, The Best Man, thriller, Toby Stephens