Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Director: Janeen Damian
Writer: Kirsten Hansen
Maddie is madly in love with best-selling author John Kennedy, whose last hit she helped edit. On the day she decides to confess her feelings, John meets and falls for her best-friend Emma and soon finds herself on the way to their Ireland wedding as the bridesmaid. But in a twist of fate, Maddie meets a mysterious woman who promises to grant her a wish, so she asks to be the one marrying John Kennedy, leading to lots of confusion.
The 2024 romantic comedy “Irish Wish,” starring Lindsay Lohan as Maddie, is as formulaic and predictable as it could be. While the clichéd plot isn’t the problem, there’s very little humor or even romance in it. The bright cinematography, with scenic Irish coast shots and a lavish wedding venue make this film watchable.
Alexander Vlahos is John Kennedy, Maddie’s dream-boy, but when she arrives in Ireland for his wedding, she runs into cute photographer James Thomas (Ed Speelers), who ends up being the wedding photographer for the Kennedy wedding. Will Maddie choose old crush Kennedy, or the new cute guy? It’s not much of a puzzle really, and everybody can pretty much guess who she would end up with. But her journey could’ve been a lot more fun that it’s made out to be.
Both Alexander Vlahos and Ed Speelers are charming in their parts, but neither of them have any chemistry with Lindsay Lohan, who by the way is quite endearing as Maddie, but the script never gets entertaining enough. Sure, there are a few fun moments, but most gags rely on people falling, or slipping, as if it’s a children’s film. I really liked Lohan’s Christmas-themed romance ‘Falling for Christmas’ on Netflix, which is why “Irish Wish” seemed worth a shot.
With a 90-minute runtime, the film isn’t excessively long, but the focus of the story is far too centered on Maddie; everybody else is forgettable, including her best friends. Her friendships feel hollow, and her relationship with her mother, which is portrayed as important (mostly through Maddie’s dialogue), isn’t memorable either.
The woman who grants Maddie a wish, is later revealed to be the patroness saint of Ireland, but weirdly – her costumes resemble traditional Indian clothing, rather than Irish. “She looks like a Punjabi aunty!” my movie-partner and I simultaneously exclaimed when the character appeared for the second time on screen. In-fact, for a film called “Irish Wish”, it doesn’t have a lot of Irish spirit in it.
Overall, this Lindsay Lohan flick might be a decent one-time-watch for those looking for a simple romance with a dash of magic and pretty-looking sets.
Rating: 4 on 10. You can stream “Irish Wish” on Netflix.
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