Post by StevePulaski on May 21, 2011 18:02:44 GMT -5
The bridesmaids are ready to put some fun in this wedding.
Rating: ★★★½
When it comes to comedies, anyone can be the star. Women rule in Bridesmaids, and boy do they make some movie characters, like the wolf pack in The Hangover, seem well behaved. Judd Apatow, the comedy wizard he is in the 2000's, has made realistic teen films like Superbad and dramas with comedic relief like Funny People. He is a multi-talented screenwriter, director, and producer, and his charm is shown off in Bridesmaids.
Bridesmaids proves that women aren't as calm and collective as some other comedies make them out to be. They are not always waiting to pay the guys' bail when they do something that gets them thrown in the brig. They sometimes debate how they will get out of the brig. Hall Pass showed women can have more fun than the males, and Bridesmaids shows women can have fun doing the men's job. 2011 is definitely the year of the women.
The plot: Annie (Wiig) is a failed bakery owner who's best friend Lillian (Rudolph) is getting married. Annie anticipates she will be the maid of honor, but feels shoved to the side when Helen (Byrne), the groom's boss, begins to takeover and plan the wedding the way she sees it.
Annie, Lillian, and Helen are accompanied by Rita (McLendon-Covey), the foul-mouthed mother of three, and the hilarious Megan (McCarthy), the chubby and outspoken hilarity of the group which derives from her quick-witted remarks and very relatable attitude to some women.
Knowing a lot of my mom's friends, I could pretty much play "who's who" and put them in the roles of the cast. I had everyone with a secondary part and an extra laugh at every joke beside everyone in the theater.
If cut appropriately, Bridesmaids cut fit on Saturday Night Live, the show Kristen Wiig is currently cast on, called something like Revenge of the Bride Buffoons. Wiig is extremely talented, and seeing her in Adventureland, Extract, and Paul I can say I've never seen a bad movie with her in it. We can all forget MacGruber ever happened.
Even with Apatow only producing the film, it still delivers the charm and relatable characters seen in every one of his films. Besides having tons of comedy, there always is some sort of human-being essence to these characters showing them as more than just actors with lines, but pre-existing characters that are three dimensional. It is almost more than a movie.
Apatow is currently working on an HBO show, which is looking interesting, called Girls about a group of twenty something females and their separate lives. It seems like a younger Sex and the City, and if it keeps the format like Bridesmaids, odds are it will be funny and clever.
Bridesmaids proves women can be just a vulgar, obscene, hilarious, and dirty as men. It is by no means a chick flick, more like a raunchy comedy with a heart. It lovable even at its most disgusting scenes. Even the dress fitting scene is hilarious as well as disgusting. It is one big mix of fun.
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd, and Terry Crews. Directed by: Paul Feig.