If That's All There Is

It’s her special day, but Frances’ new husband is ruining it. His wedding speech is just so boring. Who cares about the two different types of cake—“one’s made of cheese”—and who cares about the flower arrangements. Getting more exasperated by the minute, it is clear Frances cannot take much more. But as her face contorts and her breathing gets heavier and heavier, fate intervenes…

Daniel is shot dead.

Skipping back in time to the weeks and months before their wedding day If That’s All There Is tells the story of one couple’s struggle to cope in an increasingly alien world. Daniel and Frances are both stuck in dead end jobs, and while Frances is on the brink of a complete nervous Daniel goes to see a shrink who turns out to be even crazier than the pair of them.

Ostensibly about the pair’s marriage preparations, If That’s All There Is is a message of disenchantment with the modern world. The premise of the wedding is an allegory for life at large: one can spend all their time building up to one particular event, job or vision of the good life only to get their and realise all isn’t what it was cracked up to be. The couple’s madness is an expression of profound disillusionment. This is all hammered home with a poignant musical rendition of Peggy Lee’s iconic song “Is That All There Is?”

While a quite interesting production, it all feels a little superficial. It’s funny, but in an obvious and rather cheap way. And as a piece of drama, it certainly isn’t abundant in emotional depth.