Bridesmaids
Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Rose Byrne
Directed by Paul Feig (Arrested Development)
Rated R for some strong sexuality, and language throughout
Appropriate for ages 17+
When she is picked to be the maid of honor for the wedding of her best friend (Rudolph), Annie (Wiig) spirals out of control trying to compete with one of the girls who is also in the bridal party (Byrne).
If you think the description of the film sounds like every other lame romantic comedy or chick flick, then you would be correct. Fortunately, this is no lame romantic comedy or chick flick. The film begins with Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig having the most unsexy sex you’ve ever seen, setting the tone for this unusual raunchy comedy that turns out to be extremely enjoyable.
The first clue that this is a good comedy is Judd Apatow (40-Year-Old Virgin) taking the reins as producer. He is on a string of hits a mile long and this one just adds to the list. Whatever formula he applies is working just fine and giving their audiences their money’s worth.
The next clue is the cast. While it’s not a completely unknown cast, there are very few famous actors in the movie, which is fine because there is more talent here than in most movies loaded with A-listers. While in the past Kristen Wiig has played mostly over-the-top characters, much like she does on SNL, here she shows her acting chops with a performance that makes you laugh, but draws a tremendous amount of empathy as well. Also, the actresses in the bridal party work very well as an ensemble, and Melissa McCarthy steals every scene she’s in with perfect comic timing and an outrageous ability to shock. The pleasant surprise was The IT Crowd’s Chris O’Dowd who plays the charming cop with a crush on Annie.
While the comedy itself is sometimes so powerful that you manage to miss dialog due to people laughing too loud, there are some restrained moments as well that equal out the absurdities. This is something that Apatow’s films do all have in common – the heart is hit as hard as the funny bone.
I’ll admit that the movie does have some minor flaws. While all films have some continuity errors, this one has quite a few very visible ones – most notable were the scenes where they compare dirty teeth and the dance sequence at the end. You can tell that the improv became such a vital force in the making of the film that little details were simply overlooked. Those overlooked details are completely forgettable, though, when you consider how fun the overall experience of the movie is. A-