Storyville - 112 Weddings
BBC Four Sun 26th Oct 9pm - 10pm
Reviewed By Terry StauntonThis revealing documentary attempts to put marriage under a microscope by catching up with couples several years after they exchanged vows. The title refers to the number of wedding videos director Doug Block has shot over the last two decades, and here he returns to check on the progress of a handful of his former clients - uncovering candid accounts of struggle, separation, divorce and the occasional happy-ever-after. It's a novel twist on a where-are-they-now theme, veering from the comical to the heartbreaking, and there are times when it feels like the viewer is intruding on a therapy session, so deep-rooted are the problems experienced by some participants. Combining Block's original videos of their big day with footage of the spouses in modern, less magical times neatly frames a succession of individual stories. But such a random selection, while engrossing, doesn't offer any tangible conclusions about the overall condition of marriage as an institution.
www.radiotimes.com
