Movie Review: Bridesmaids Is No Chick Flick
- Details
- Category: New Series and Movie Reviews
- Published: Friday, 13 May 2011 14:33
- Written by Lupe Haas
Don't let the name fool you. BRIDESMAIDS is not a chick flick about a wedding. Instead it's a woman's version of a bromance and a counterpart to The Hangover.BRIDESMAIDS stars "Saturday Night Live" alums Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph as Lillian and Annie, best friends whose friendship begins to crumble over one of Lilian's bridesmaids vying for best friend status. Helen, played by X-Mens: First Class' Rose Byrne, is a socialite outdoing Annie, the maid of honor, in planning the wedding and bachelorette party. Annie has lost her bakery, and is living with two annoying roommates, scraping by with the little money she has while Helen flaunts her wealth and influence. Melissa McCarthy ("Mike & Molly"), Ellie Kemper ("The Office"), and Wendi McLendon-Covey round out the bridesmaids watching the disaster unfold in front of their very eyes.
There have been plenty of romantic comedies or dramas about women's relationship but it's always centered on a man. In BRIDESMAIDS, men do not figure into the picture which was refreshing. The characters come off as very real and down to earth people which makes it all the more relatable. The relationships are real but the situations are outrageous, hilarious, and often raunchy much like The Hangover but that's where the similarities end. The characters in Bridesmaids are much more developed and in real life dilemmas.
It's no surprise BRIDESMAIDS is a strong comedy about women since the two writers are women. Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, and produced by bromance movie expert Judd Apatow (Superbad, The 40-Year Virgin, Knocked Up), BRIDESMAIDS works on all levels-- storywise and the humor aspect. It's not a very girly film as most would expect, thanks to director Paul Fieg, and the raunchiness and gross-out humor is fitting with no over the top action.
One film that comes to mind that failed terribly as a gross-out comedy for women was The Sweetest Thing (2002) starring Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate. It didn't work because the female characters behaved like men and no one could relate to that. In BRIDESMAIDS, the women come off as true to life characters that happen to be in situations that leads to toilet humor.
While the women in BRIDESMAIDS are front and center in BRIDESMAIDS, the men are relegated to the background. The normally sauve Jon Hamm is no gentleman in BRIDESMAIDS, as Annie's friend with benefits. He calls on her only for sex and she falls for it everytime. Kristen Wiig doesn't waste any time bedding Jon Hamm at the beginning of the movie in a hilarious wham bam thank you ma'am moment that sets up Jon's character as a total douche bag. Later in the film, Annie gets a love interest played by Chris O'Dowd but the story doesn't focus on that relationship as much as friendship that is falling apart.
Funny women Kristen doesn't disappoint in the film in her first leading role and surrounds herself with an array of strong women including Maya Rudolph and the hateable Helen (Byrne). However, Melissa McCarthy steals every scene as the butchy pearl necklace wearing bridesmaid who is very confident and sexually aggressive. She is the Kramer (from Seinfeld) of this bunch. It is so refreshing to see an actress given a plum role, and do something that is very original, and not look like a Barbie Doll. Kudos to Melissa for not being afraid to go without make-up and look the worst on film for the laughs.
BRIDESMAIDS is a fun time at the movies. This is one comedy everyone can enjoy and should be a sleeper hit this summer.
BRIDESMAIDS would make a good double feature with another release later this month - The Hangover II.
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