Movie Review: "Bridesmaids"
Franck Tabouring
Seen on: May 13, 2011
The players: Director: Paul Feig, Writers: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper
Facts of interest: Feig also helmed numerous episodes of "The Office."
The plot: The story follows a stressed maid of honor (Wiig) who has trouble handling a bunch of crazy bridesmaids.
Our thoughts: The posters look fantastic, the trailers are hilarious, and a cast like this one promises nothing but fun. The actual movie? Well, let’s just say it could be a bit better. Although it boasts a bunch of glorious scenes filled with solid laughs, Paul Feig’s new comedy “Bridesmaids” doesn’t quite succeed in wanting to be the most entertaining comedy we’ve seen in a long time. It’s a good flick, but it might not deserve all the praise it’s been getting.
The star of the film is Kristen Wiig, and if it weren’t for her, this one would be pretty lifeless. Not only did she co-write “Bridesmaids,” but she also plays lead character Annie, a down-on-her-luck woman who’s been struggling with her finances ever since she lost her business to the recession. Her biggest source of support these days is her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph), but she’s about to get married.
For Annie, the maid of honor, this means assisting with the wedding preparations and giving her friend one heck of an awesome bachelorette party. Not an easy task, because if there’s one thing Annie is not ready for at all, it’s dealing with a group of four eccentric bridesmaids who are nearly impossible to control…
Unlike the guys in “The Hangover,” the girls in “Bridesmaids” don’t spent the entire movie trying to get their act together in Las Vegas. On the contrary, this movie tells a different story, and it’s in that area where it both succeeds and fails. On the positive side, Wiig’s character is one we quickly grow to love. Life is pretty hard on her these days, and she just doesn’t have the strength to get rid of her self-pity.
Luckily for her, this adventure will open up a new door for her, but the road to the point is long. Long indeed, because “Bridesmaids” runs for 125 minutes. That is a tad too long, because the plot experiences several “downtimes” that could have easily been eliminated. Not every scene in this thing moves the story forward, and that’s a big no-no in filmmaking, even in big Hollywood comedies.
Here’s my other problem with this Judd Apatow-produced comedy: it is not always as funny as it tries to be. While many jokes (even those involving silly slapstick) easily hit all the right notes, others really don’t go anywhere. The film, however, tries to be extremely funny 100 percent of the time, and that unfortunately causes a bunch of scenes, jokes and pieces of dialogue to feel very forced. Some of those even made me cringe a little at times.
That said, the story is a heartfelt one, and it’s a pleasure to watch Annie grow into a better person, even though the majority of the movie focuses on yet another one of those big rivalries between two people trying to prove they are the better friend. I am referring to the relationship between Annie and bridesmaid Helen (an excellent Rose Byrne), who are constantly trying to bring each other down. Been there, seen that…
Like I said, “Bridesmaids” carries some great qualities, but it is far from a perfect comedy. The cast is a joy to observe, and besides Wiig, the one person to watch in this thing is Melissa McCarthy, who delivers the most memorable moments as the groom’s very vulgar sister. Ellie Kemper (“The Office”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“Reno: 911”) and Maya Rudolph do a fine job as well.
Freaky quote: "It's called civil rights. This is the '90s." - Kristen Wiig
The final word: Keep your eyes on Wiig. She is definitely a talented actress, and I can only hope we will get to see her way more often on the big screen. Her “Bridesmaids” makes for refreshing entertainment, although I’m not sure it’s a movie I would revisit. It packs some good laughs and funny characters, and that’s good enough for me to give it the seven stars it deserves. It will probably also be a huge hit at the box office.
On the web: http://www.bridesmaidsmovie.com/
Article by Franck Tabouring
Reader Comments (1)
I loved the movie.
Will def. watch it again