Bride Wars (2009)

On the verge of experiencing the weddings that they've been fantasising about since they were kids, best friends Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) hit a very big hitch indeed. Both set to have their ceremonies at New York's Plaza Hotel, the two are horrified to discover that their weddings have been double-booked. Sisterly camaraderie quickly gives way to all-out war as they both indulge in dirty tricks campaigns aimed at ruining each other's weddings. With Emma the victim of a brightorange tan and Liv the recipient of a disastrous dye job that leaves her hair blue, there seems to be no depths the girls will fail to sink to. As their lifelong friendship dissolves, the two begin to question whether having the perfect wedding is worth losing the perfect pal.

Sheer exuberant fun, Bride Wars might be generic chickflick fare but it's a particularly energetic entry in the genre, bolstered by the redoubtable charisma of its two stars. As the daughter of Goldie Hawn, Hudson was born to this kind of light-hearted silliness and while Hathaway has been making a big splash in weightier films such as Rachel Getting Married recently, she throws herself into this manic comedy with equal enthusiasm.

While those who dislike the genre should probably give Bride Wars an extremely wide berth or else be prepared to put up with a lot of unnecessary shrieking, fans will be rewarded with plenty of daft wedding-themed fun.