Bachelorette

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Rebel Wilson, Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fisher, James Marsden, Adam Scott, Horatio Sanz
Directed by: Leslye Headland
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Romance
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three friends (Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fisher) reluctantly agree to be bridesmaids in their high school friend's (Rebel Wilson) wedding.

Review:

Tim: Bachelorette is a pretty interesting film. It was obviously made in response to the acclaim and popularity of Bridesmaids. The idea was certainly, "If women want a crude, funny film about their lives, let's give them more of the same!" I get the desire to capitalize on a big success, but this film felt like such a blatant copy that it turned me off a little. However, I have to admit I was still fairly interested in seeing this movie. Bridesmaids did uncover an interesting subgenre that hasn't been explored nearly enough. So, I was looking forward to seeing what this film would be like.

Bachelorette is certainly a very crude movie. I was actually pretty surprised at the language and the overt sexual themes in this film. This is a movie that certainly earns its "R" rating. I have to admit I laughed at much of the crude language and the boundary pushing that this movie delivers. I did find it funny. However, it got to a point where it felt like the movie was going out of its way, just to be in-your-face vulgar. The movie needed to dial it down just a bit.

I also thought it was an odd choice to make all the characters so unlikable. I'm all for characters being complex, multidimensional, and realistic. However, this movie actively works to make us unlike the characters- they act in completely despicable ways, with little to no redeeming characteristics about them. While the characters were funny, I never really cared about any of them. I get that jerks and scumbags deserve their own movies, too, but it is hard to identify with or care about them when they are our protagonists.

The cast was pretty good. It was fun seeing Kirsten Dunst in this setting- swearing, acting inappropriate, and being a horribly selfish. This is not the typical light we see her in, and it was fun to watch her embrace her bad self. I thought Lizzy Caplan did a very good job as well. I liked her in Cloverfield, and I think she has the potential to really break out big. She did a good job here. I also really like Isla Fisher, but I felt like her character was a bit underdeveloped in this film. She was fine, but she didn't have a great deal to work with. I still think Rebel Wilson is overrated. She was average in this film, although she does have her moments. James Marsden was a nice addition to the cast, although he didn't get to add a great deal. Adam Scott was not nearly as annoying as he usually is.

This movie does have a few very funny moments. I laughed at various points in the film, so I give the movie credit for some of the funnier moments. I wouldn't say I laughed continually in the movie, but it was pretty enjoyable. Most of the laughs come from the crude, vulgar language and situations, so while the humor wasn't exactly intelligent, it was still funny nonetheless.

In the end, Bachelorette had some very funny moments, but as a whole, the film was only average. I really wanted to like the characters and to identify with their plight, but it was exceedingly difficult to. The movie also featured too many obvious, predictable moments. As a whole, the film was okay, but not a movie I would recommend very strongly. It was a nice try, but certainly not a home run (more like a lucky single).

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Bridesmaids, Cloverfield, Wedding Crashers