My Mother, My Bride and I

My Mother, My Bride and I tells the low-key story of a shy and lonely middle-aged German man (Matthias Brandt’s Erwin) who decides to purchase a bride from Romania, which, after an expected montage of underwhelming candidates, leads him to a sassy farm girl named Irina (Maria Popistasu). The tentative nature of their relationship is initially hampered by Erwin’s mother (Monica Bleibtreu’s Frau Kobarek), as their relationship remains that of a parent and her child (she still bathes him, if that’s any indication). Filmmaker Hans Steinbichler offers up an exceedingly unassuming tale that’s generally enjoyable enough, with the stellar work by the two leads certainly proving effective in capturing one’s interest. The tumultuous, love-hate nature of their relationship initially carries the proceedings and propels it forward, and yet there inevitably does reach a point at which the various complications thrown in their way become contrived and feel as though they’ve been included only to pad out the running time. The fake break-up that dominates the majority of the film’s third act is as needless as one might imagine, and it consequently goes without saying that My Mother, My Bride and I is ultimately unable to live up to the easygoing charm of its opening half hour.

** out of ****