Review:Bridesmaids

BRIDESMAIDS

reviewerMichael Hill
Rated: 15 (UK)
Release Date: June 22nd, 2011(UK)
Director: Paul Feig
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Chris O’Dowd, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, Wendi McLendon-Covey

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Walking into the screening I glanced at the films poster and read a quote from Cosmopolitan describing it as “Better than The Hangover”. In my male brain I thought to myself, “Hah, Cosmopolitan would say that, I’m sure they would even reviewed the Sex in The City films favourably.”
 
However, when I the credits rolled I actually had to agree with Cosmopolitan, Bridesmaids is better than The Hangover. Kristen Wiig is the main reason for this shocking revelation, she is a hilarious yet compelling lead and gives the film a heart. The other reason is that Bridesmaids could have been your average gentle PG ‘chick flick’/ romcom, though it knows what it wants to be; a crude and rude comedy; a female equivalent of a bromance comedy; a womance, if you will.
 
The premise of the film is that Annie (Wiig) is picked to be the maid of honour for her best friend Lillian’s wedding. This seems simple enough, however,Annie is not the ideal candidate for the role; she’s broke after her business failed, out of luck, and has no lovelife to speak of herself, so surrounding herself with couples and marriage related activities is not a great idea. Also the bridesmaids she has to organise are a oddball group of characters, including Helen who is Lillian’s ‘new best friend’ and a strong rival to Annie trying to up her at every stage up the pre-wedding events.

Wigg co wrote the film with Annie Mumolo (who has an amusing cameo halfway through the film), and they have managed to dodge the cliches of a chick flick/romcom and throw in a good few curve balls and cursing for good measure. In interviews Wiig has said “We wanted to write a comedy, not a female comedy, just a comedy that has a lot of women in it”. And they have achieved this, the film has some very well conceived comedic setpieces, one that will no doubt put you off Brazilian food for awhile. Though many of the biggest laughs and the best moments are the smaller scenes, such as Wig’s character waking up early and applying make up and crawling back into bed and then complaining “I’ve just woken up, I must look horrible” when she is woken up by the man she is sleeping with. They should also be commended on fleshing out the backstories of the bridesmaids so they seem three dimensional people not just sterotypical wacky characters in a comedy film. Director Paul Feig, who has an impressive history in TV comedy (Arressted Development, The Office, Nurse Jackie ect), no doubt helped keep everything in control and gets some good performances from everyone, Chris O’Dowd, from The IT Crowd, is particularly likeable and had the majority of the women in the cinema ‘Ooooohing and Ahhhhhing’ with his attempts at wooing Annie.

I’m sure they will be numerous lazy comparisons to other films eg “it’s Bride Wars meets I Love You Man”, and while that one may be kind of true, I would say the film has more in common with the spirit 500 Days of Summer, in the sense that is a refreshing take on chick flicks, like 500 days was for romcoms.
 
If the film does well and no doubt it will, on word of mouth and marketing alone (much like The Hangover), there will likely be a sequel and we could see a whole batch of ‘womantic comedies’. And though that may have my male brain rolling it’s eyes. If they are all as funny as bridesmaids it won’t a bad thing.

MOVIE RATING: 4/5

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