I'm sure Edward Burns gets plenty of complaints about his films, and I'm probably part of the minority that has enjoyed every single film he's done so far (at least out of the films he's written and directed). I can sort of understand why. Film is meant to be a visual medium, and as much as I enjoy his work, Burns is not exactly a director whose prime concern is the visuals. But I don't care! I'm one of the few film buffs who has never checked out any of the "Lord of the Rings" flicks. Why is that? Because I don't give a damn about special effects or CGI or elaborate sets or elaborate costumes. I care about interesting characters and interesting dialogue, and Burns always delivers in those two departments. I can relate to many of the characters in his films. I can't relate to Hobbits or whatever creatures you see in those "LOTR" flicks. Having watched the film's previews, I thought this might be Burns' attempt at making a more mainstream feature. But it wasn't. It was a typical Burns flick with typical Burns characters, who all have troubled love lives and swig Heineken like no tomorrow. "The Groomsmen" has a few flaws. Some of the NY accents sounded fake and came and went. Jay Mohr is from Jersey, so he really didn't have to try so hard to fake a NY accent when his real accent sounds close enough anyway. Also, hearing John Leguizamo sing was an example of "Don't quit your day job." He sounds almost as bad as I do when I sing karaoke, and I'm pretty sure even a garage band would have a better singer than him. His voice crackles whenever he hits the high notes. Being a baritone, I know what that's like. That's why I don't sing in a band. Plus, the "faking" of the guitar playing wasn't always convincing, even to someone who's never played guitar. And finally, the payoff to the subplot involving Leguizamo's character could've been a lot stronger. I'm not going to give away the twist involving his character, even though someone else on IMDb probably will. Other than those minor flaws, I really enjoyed the film. The cast is solid, though I'm sure Brittany Murphy was put in the movie simply to add star power. I don't hate Brittany as an actress, but a better, lesser-known actress could've played the role instead. The music is great as well. Thanks to Burns, I have two of the film's songs stuck in my head...but that's a good thing. He chose to use good songs from the 70's and 80's that weren't necessarily hits. If you're not a fan of Burns' work, this film probably won't change your mind. If you are a fan like me...enjoy the show.

"There's a difference between getting older and growing up." That is The Groomsmen's other, more appropriate tagline, but the one they used was "Till death do we party!". Having said that, one can say that The Groomsmen is a surprise; for one, it's not a laugh-out-loud comedy, despite starring sitcom staples and a misleadingly happy poster. It does have comedic elements but it is more dramatic than funny. The audience gets the feeling that Burns is trying to communicate honest men's points of view ala Sex in the City via such varied characters.

Paulie (the incredibly talented writer/director/producer/actor Edward Burns) knocks up his longtime girlfriend Sue (Brittany Murphy), and so they plan to get married. A week before the wedding, he meets up with his four groomsmen, each with a different take on being a thirty-something and how that affects their friendship.

Donal Logue (from TV's Grounded for Life) plays Jimbo, Paulie's older brother who is having marital and job troubles and frequents a strip bar. Mike (Jay Mohr) still lives with his father and was dumped by his hot girlfriend for being too childish. T.C. (John Leguizamo) was the one who went AWOL on them for eight years, harboring a personal secret and is finally able to come to grips with it by finally telling his childhood friends. Dez (Matthew Lillard) takes a startling turn as the responsible, got-it-together guy in the group, with the kids and the wife. Amazing that he gets this role after being typecast in such movies like Scream, Without a Paddle and Scooby Doo.

While The Groomsmen suffers from being a tad flat, largely because of misled expectations, it is earnest, and deliberately takes its time, soaking in Burns' version of suburban New York.