Bridesmaids

There are many prickly relationship comedies, many wedding related comedies, many gross-out comedies, many my-life-is-a-mess comedies and many comedies that shoe-horn in a romance.

This has all those familiar elements but it works really well. It is well-paced despite the long run time, with a good mix of the various elements that keeps the entertainment and comedy value strong. Importantly the characters and relationships seem believable which makes the comedy parts so much more effective when they happen.

Kristen Wiig plays the lead character and co-wrote (taking care to include romantic associations with two really attractive guys). Wiig is really funny and effective in the role. I also really enjoyed the performances of Rose Byrne and Chris O'Dowd. Melissa McCarthy is good and her bit on the plane was really funny.

Marriage doesn't have to end a friendship, but there will be adjustments. And who would've thunk, a band of bridesmaids could be so engaging? Only in Milwaukee. While prepping for a friend's wedding (Rudolph), a bridesmaid (Wiig), one unexpectedly passed over for the top spot (Byrne), finds her own life in disarray: a bakery dream gone bust, habit in casual sex turned tiresome (Hamm), mean, moronic roommates (Lucas Wilson) and her car takes a hit she can't afford. Then Annie catches a break, meeting two people she probably doesn't deserve, a kindly cop (O'Dowd) and co-maid (McCarthy) with "security clearance" who slaps some sense into Miss Walker, literally.

Though not officially a remake of The Women (56 08), the similarities with MGM's 39 classic should confer upon it honorary inclusion as marriage & mostly dames are its motif, subject husband (to be) nearly unseen, in-fighting amongst the girls is raucous and the ending, well, let's just say, it's "the, uh, stuff that dreams are made of (Wilson Phillips)." Lotsa zany lines ("There's a colonial woman on the wing, churning butter!") & packed tighter on funny bits than a Focker carry-on, including a 'pity party' when we discover Megan's a missle expert, gown fitting that makes all others 'pale' in comparison, a flight that teaches never mix barbs & booze, bridal shower where we witness the murder of a cookie after learning why bleach is the ultimate hygene, and a visit to Helen's home, she with a face that could launch 1000 Harley Davidsons but now parent to the ugliest step brats you'll ever see.

Running just over 2 hrs but not feeling nearly that long (good sign), Bridesmaids was directed by Paul Feig with co-writing credits to Kristen & Annie Mumolo who plays the fearful flyer ("Just toss it back"). Also stars Wendi McClendon-Covey (Reno 911), Ellie Kemper ("You're more beautiful than Cinderella, smell like pine needles & have a face like sunshine!"), Mitch Silpa as flight steward "Stove" & Jill Clayburgh is Annie's mom, the 1978 Cannes winner (Unmarried Woman) & 2-time Oscar nominee having died from a long battle with cancer 6 mths before the movie's release (3.5/4).

So this is the first comedy with a mostly female cast that blew me out of the water. Its as good as comedy gets - period. Right at the top with 1 other (which I'd rather not name for reasons).

I had already liked Wiig but this was her crowning achievement. It was also the movie that but Melissa McCarthy's career on the fast-track to stardom. Solid performances from the rest of the cast who all deserve a mention.

The film is filled with side-splitting hilarity.

I loved the toasting scene at the shower and the awkward one-upwomanship that ensued.

The plane scene has so many quotes and Wiig's genius shines so brightly.

Then the dress-trying scene had me rolling.

I've probably rewatched this movie as many or more times than any other. I've also recommended it as much or more than any other.

A masterpiece film that just so happens to be a comedy!

This is like a big slap in the face to all the lame chick flicks out there as of now and a breakthrough, star making leading role for the brilliant and hilarious Kristen Wiig. I have never seen a comedy in a long time that was as consistently funny and I mean laugh on the ground with tears coming down your face funny as well as touching and for once genuine characters that you can relate to and have an instant, believable, bond and chemistry on screen that makes the ongoing crazy shenanigans all the more effective and hysterical. The showstopper, scene stealing, laugh riot Melissa McCarthy was fantastic and no wonder has her own sitcom and she should host or be apart of SNL or something she is so freaking funny I almost wet myself! Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig should make more comedies together and are much better than Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were in Baby Mama, they are a comedy dream team and the rest of the cast is the cherry on top. The movie goes through typical issues from the average chick flick like jealousy, insecurities, narcissism, cat fights, self-doubt, self-pity, self-destruction you name it but it deals with those is a more honest, realistic non sugar-coated way that was refreshing and smart from the norm and raises the bar so high for chick flicks (which is more anti of that anyways) and comedies in general that I personally can't see any comedy this year or in the future surpassing its comedy greatness, it's golden!!! Overall if you were waiting for a movie that will truly make you laugh harder than you ever laughed before in the theaters in a long time your wish has been granted, wear depends just in case because you might need them. Highly Recommended! The most satisfying comedy in the past decade that I never wanted it to end and forget about the overrated The Hangover and its unnecessary sequel and bring on Bridesmaids 2 already! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

My friends invited me to a preview screening of Bridesmaids last night, and I accepted the invitation with a sense of cautious optimism. The trailer for the film admittedly didn't do much for me, but I was intrigued by the concept of a female-driven Apatow film. Ultimately, I went into the theater with modest expectations, hoping to get a few good laughs out of it.

By the time we came out of the theater, my three friends and I had smiles plastered across our faces, and we couldn't stop talking about the film for the next couple hours. We all loved it. I think it easily ranks with the best of the Apatow productions, and it might even be my personal favorite. Like all of Apatow's productions, there are admittedly scenes that arguably go a little too far or a little too long, but that's a small criticism when the film successfully fires on so many other cylinders.

To start with, the film is hilarious, and I think the comedy far exceeds the standalone bits shown in the trailer. Scene after scene is filled with humorous and often sidesplitting moments, and they had the theater in an uproar during the screening. I can't say enough about Kristen Wiig. Prior to this, I've always liked her to some extent but never really loved her. I think she's good at what she does, but I wasn't sure her shtick could sustain an entire film. Would her passive aggressive wit get old? Is it the only note she can play? Can she handle anything more dramatic? Ultimately, she blew me away in this film. Not only is she consistently and uniquely funny, but her character is surprisingly well-developed, and Wiig brings the character to vibrant and dynamic life on-screen.

And this brings me to my next point about Bridesmaids: the film has a surprising amount of depth that completely caught me off guard. Bridesmaids isn't a quickie 80-minute gag fest by any stretch of the imagination; it's actually a leisurely paced 2-hour character-driven comedy that takes time to develop its characters and establish the various relationships and resultant conflicts between them. Ultimately, the film ends up being quite heartfelt and even rather sad in places. Despite the over-the-top antics shown in the trailer, the themes that the film explores are actually quite grounded. Kristen Wiig's character is someone who is feeling completely let down by life, which is a place we've all been, and the personal journey of her character resonated strongly for me. While her character is easily the most well-developed of the bunch, even the other bridesmaids ultimately show some three-dimensionality as well, despite the fact that they are sometimes initially introduced as two-dimensional caricatures.

Ultimately, Bridesmaids was one of the most enjoyable comedies I've seen in a long time. It's certainly not perfect: it could probably do with some editing, there might be a few too many subplots (some of which are left unexplored), and it arguably goes too over-the-top at times, but everything else about the film works so well that these complaints are little more than nitpicks. While I applaud everyone involved in the production, it is Kristen Wiig who deserves the most accolades. As co-writer and lead actress, she plays a huge part in the film's success, and I sincerely hope this film puts her on the Hollywood map, as I would love to see more from her in the future. Whatever the case may be, Bridesmaids certainly makes for a successful maiden voyage for her into the world of feature-film comedies.