Bridesmaids (2011)

Directed by: Paul Feig

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Chris O’Dowd, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, and Rebel Wilson

Genre: Comedy

Rated: R

Annie (Wiig) has hit a rough spot in her life. She’s sleeping with a man that doesn’t care about her, sharing an apartment with people who expect too much from her and don’t respect her privacy, and working in a jewelry store, trying to recover from her own business tanking. Her only comfort is her best friend, Lillian (Rudolph). Then, Lillian reveals she is getting married, and Annie is introduced to Lillian’s other life that didn’t include her. This life does, however, include Helen, a beautiful, manipulative woman who makes all of her gatherings over the top and sees Annie as a threat to her friendship with Lillian. As the film rolls on, the two battle for Lillian’s affections, hilarity ensues, and at the same time, Annie has to become reacquainted with herself.

I loved the characters in this film – not one of the three main ladies were perfect. They all had something to learn and a journey to make throughout the film. I identified a lot with Annie and a lot of what she was going through. I sympathized with her and understood why she did some of the things she did because she had so little self-worth and didn’t know what it was like to be treated right. I also know the feeling of having that one friend you lean on and feeling like they’re being ripped away from you. She reaches her breaking point at the climax of the film, hitting the peak of her underlying, dramatic character arc. Megan (McCarthy) was my second favorite character, because as hilarious as she was, she was also the voice of reason among the six members of the bridal party.

The performances were top-notch. Kristen Wiig did an excellent job switching from comedic to dramatic when the scene called for it. She brought Annie to life and carried the film with ease. Maya Rudolph was lovely as Lillian, though I was a little disappointed that her character had so little comedic moments (aside from the bridal gown scene) because she is so funny on Saturday Night Live. Rose Byrne was perfectly bitchy as Helen, and Melissa McCarthy almost had me in tears from laughing so hard.

The scenes that stand out from the film are both comedic and dramatic. Some are flat-out comedic (The bridal shop, the airplane), others strictly dramatic (the scene where she bakes the one cupcake with Fiona Apple playing over it) and some a combination (the breakdown at the film’s climax). The fact that the film can go from raunchy bathroom humor to internal self-examination with ease is commendable.

This film is a great mix of a friendship triangle, raunchy comedy, and insightful drama. That is something I enjoy seeing and would like to see more often. A lot of comedies focus more on getting laughs with raunchy humor and forget to develop the characters at all. This film is very well-done and I recommend it.

8/10