Love Is All You Need

Pierce Brosnan is a pleasingly humble sort of hero in this sprawling but sweet romantic comedy, which blends British and Danish cultures against a pretty Italian backdrop. Director Susanne Bier is better known for a melodramatic style (in films like Open Hearts and Brothers), but there's only a touch of that here as Philip (Brosnan) and Ida (Trine Dyrholm) overcome life-changing traumas to celebrate the marriage of their children (Sebastian Jessen and Molly Blixt Egelind). They seize their own chance at happiness, too, but it's a bumpy road to love, littered with drunken exes and desperate in-laws. Bier has a knack for dissecting complicated relationships and the results are mostly very funny. The younger lovebirds tend to drag the story down, and the tears and tantrums on the big day are pure contrivance, but Brosnan and Dyrholm have a sparky rapport, and a sugary frosting of feel-good sentiment saves the day.