Bridesmaids

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd, Terry Crews, Jon Hamm
Directed by: Paul Feig
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Romance
2011

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The maid of honor (Kristen Wiig) clashes with another bridesmaid (Rose Byrne) while trying to give their best friend (Maya Rudolph) the perfect wedding. As the competition heats up, things spiral out of control, threatening to ruin the wedding.

Review:

Tim: Bridesmaids could likely be called the surprise hit of 2011. The movie features a mostly female cast and is an R rated, gross out comedy for women. This is not exactly the typical Hollywood movie. And yet, that uniqueness is what separates the film from the majority of the genre. This is a funny, different, strong comedy. I really enjoyed it.

Despite the fact that this movie is aimed at women, it contains enough good humor to appease male viewers. However, the movie was a success because it gave female viewers what they wanted- a mature, funny, adult comedy that pushes the boundaries, but also has the requisite heart. Women are sadly left out of most of the Hollywood movies coming out these days- the best they can hope for is the latest off-the-shelf romantic comedy that plays it way too safe. Bridesmaids turned that notion upside down, and it became a certifiable hit. Female audiences want good movies aimed at them, and I hope this film allows that demographic better film choices in the future. More of these kind of movies need to be made.

The movie itself is fairly straight forward, but touches on themes that are relatable to female viewers. The movie centers around a wedding and the tension between two bridesmaids. Weddings are such a stressful, pressured situation, and any woman who's ever been in one can attest to the fact that emotions are heighted and drama will certainly occur. This movie capitalizes on that familiar theme. I liked how the film was really a friendship triangle (as opposed to a love triangle). Each of the three roles was important, and there wasn't really a good girl or bad girl. The characters were well written, complex, and interesting.

I've really had to rethink Kristen Wiig over the last year. I used to think she was incredibly annoying, but she's had some big hits recently where she's also given solid performances. She hits all the right notes here- she is relatable as a protagonist, but also is courageous enough to really put herself out there for the sake of a joke. Her energetic performance really makes the movie. Maya Rudolph is well cast as the bride and Wiig's best friend. Rudolph can be really funny (and has some humorous momentS), but I liked seeing her in a restrained role. Rudolph easily gets on my nerves when she tries too hard to be funny. Luckily, this was the perfect role for her.

I really liked the casting of Rose Byrne. Byrne is an underrated actress, and did very good work here. She was just nasty enough to dislike her, but she also creates a somewhat sympathetic character as well. Everyone likely knows a woman like her character, but she made her seem layered and real. Melissa McCarthy does indeed steal quite a few scenes in the film, but I didn't think she was as fantastic as some people claimed. She definitely adds to the movie and made me laugh, but her impact is minimal.

Although this film isn't about the guys, I have to say I really enjoyed Chris O'Dowd in this film. He makes for an unlikely romantic interest, but he gives such a terrific, humorous, charismatic performance that it doesn't matter. His performance can be easily overlooked, but it really was so critical to the film. We end up really loving his character and wanting him to have a relationship with Wiig. I thought O'Dowd was truly fantastic here and I hope to see more of him. I didn't, on the other hand, care for Jon Hamm. I think Hamm is overrated as an actor, and I'm quite frankly sick of him popping up in every film. I didn't think he added much here at all.

This movie does feature some very funny moments. The food poisoning scene is the most obvious. It is certainly disgusting and hilarious, but it also feels a bit out of place. I probably laughed the most at it, but it also overshadowed some of the rest of the film. There weren't a great deal of hilarious, memorable lines, although the movie itself was humorous throughout.

While I really, really enjoyed Bridesmaids, I think it could have been funnier. While much of the movie is amusing and funny, there weren't enough disruptively hilarious moments. The best comedies have a number of those classic, unforgettable scenes, and I felt like the movie needed a few more. The film does occasionally get bogged down with some of the typical romantic comedy cliches. Still, this was a surprisingly funny, original, intelligent comedy, and one of the better ones I've seen in a while. Plus, it made an enormous amount of money. I'd glad it did so well, and I hope we see more like it soon.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Paul, Date Night, 27 Dresses, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall