Rachel Getting Married is family dysfunction at its finest – it is at times excruciating to watch, yet tempered with humour and warmth.

In the lead role of this Jonathan Demme-directed drama, Hollywood's "it-girl" Anne Hathaway morphs into an audibly unrecognisable figure as Kym Buchman, a recovering addict who returns to her Connecticut family home to celebrate the wedding of her sister Rachel (played by a radiant Rosemarie DeWitt) and Sidney (TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe).

Rachel’s wedding celebrations are only one side of the story – the other is the unravelling of the Buchman family’s tragic past, in which Kym plays a starring role. Throughout the film, Kym and Rachel vie for their “story” to take centre stage.

Relentlessly, Kym divulges the details and harrowing consequences of her disease – causing, at one point, guests at Rachel and Sidney’s rehearsal dinner to shift awkwardly in their seats. Although self-obsessed and destructive Kym is nonetheless forgivable (and lovable).

Of note, the relationship between Kym and her mother Abby (Debra Winger) infuses the film with a sense of intrigue. The simmering tension between these two characters is palpable, culminating in a shocking fistfight.

The film, through its home-video visual style, captures the essence of a family that is broken. Shaky, unforgiving close-ups and dimly lit out-of-focus corridor shots add a fly-on-the-wall quality.

Frequent comedic moments and a throbbing dance floor scene towards the end of the wedding ceremony lift the film out of its potentially depressing state. As does the ensemble of musicians who serve as the wedding’s entertainment and simultaneously create the film’s soundtrack.

Hathaway is superb as the eternally troubled Kym. Dark-rimmed eyes and a jagged haircut aid Hathaway’s transformation from clean-cut Devil Wears Prada material to this emotionally charged character. Adopting a guttural voice and air of existential nonchalance, Hathaway's portrayal of a recovering addict is undoubtedly deserving of an Oscar come February 22.