Bridesmaids Movie Review 0
Despite all the raunch and rowdiness that makes up Bridesmaids, at its core, it is still a chick flick of standard conventions. While not a bad movie, I only wish it had amassed all its great potential to transcend the familiar rom-com territory and chart out a new path for female-centric comedies. It fails when it relies too heavily on the same devices that make mainstream movies so predictable and formulaic, but redeems itself with the funniest of funny leading ladies.
Kristin Wiig plays Annie, a woman whose long list of personal troubles compromise her ability to carry out her duties as maid of honor for her best friend’s upcoming wedding (played by Maya Rudolph, one of my favorite SNL alums). Both actors are supported by a group of madcap characters who round out the rest of the bridal party, with a standout performance from Melissa McCarthy, another virtuoso of comedy. As if her own problems weren’t enough, (no man, no money, a failed bakery) Annie also finds some unexpected competition in Lillian’s new friend (Rose Byrne) a beautiful and wealthy trophy wife who tries to outshine her as the better “best friend”. A hilarious toasting scene at a dinner party demonstrates their burgeoning rivalry beautifully.
While guys will probably enjoy it just as much, it’s certainly a movie to see with your closest gal pals, as it capture the dynamics of female friendships and fragile scenarios with a perceptive eye and open heart. Emotions can and do get confusing when it seems your best friend’s life is nearing perfection while your own is crumbling with no signs of happiness in sight. I respect the film’s ability to draw out honest and intense emotions from its characters, when the alternative could’ve been to just feign delight and then talk about your friend behind her back, as Maya Rudolph’s character humorously quips is the “normal thing to do”. Let’s face it, jealousy can and does get in the way of friendship sometimes – while we love our friends and want them to be happy, their external perfection can highlight our own personal shortcomings, making us feel like losers. (This is why insecure people often make the worst girlfriends). But solid bonds can not be broken and Bridesmaids takes its characters over some zany and hilarious hurdles to prove this point.
In the end, I feel the movie could’ve benefited from better editing: less body humor (overdone bathroom jokes, anyone?) and a lot more of the subtle, refined, witty variety of comedy we see in the first half of the film. The trailer leaves out the best scenes and punch lines, which is good for audiences who all too often are fed the best material in the promos. Bridesmaids keeps its meat for the main course. Still I just couldn’t help but feel that as everything was coming together, the movie had fallen apart for me. Brace yourself, or better yet, “hold on” for the cheesiest of cheese-fests at the end. (Admittedly, a guilty pleasure for many of us).
Despite my reservations, the negatives shouldn’t stop you from giving Bridesmaids a chance, (perhaps better saved for a 5-dollar day) because it still has a lot going for it. If you can forgive the sappy last third of the film, you’ll bear witness to Kristin Wiig’s brilliant humor, a performer gifted in the art of timing and subtlety, who shines in almost all her scenes. I don’t think Tina Fey will be losing her comedy crown any time soon, but Kristin Wiig is a legitimate contender and a rising star in her own right.