Judd Apatow produced movies are famous for their frat boys humor so maybe it's about time he got around to producing a girl's comedy. Co-written by and starring Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig, this hilarious comedy goes a long way toward disproving the ridiculous theory that you sometimes hear espoused that women can't be funny.
Wiig stars as Annie, a down on her luck woman living in Milwaukee, WI. She recently lost her cake baking business and is in a sex only relationship with a jerk played by Jon Hamm. The news that her best friend Lillian (played by SNL alum Maya Rudolph) is getting married and wants Annie to be her maid of honor doesn't do much to raise her spirits as it only reminds her of how much her life isn't going according to plan. Adding to her aggravation is the fact that another of Lillian's friends, the rich and beautiful Helen, is trying to take over the planning of the wedding and usurp Annie's place as Lillian's best friend.
Wiig, who is the funniest performer currently on SNL, shows here that she has a future in movies. She has the charisma and comic timing to carry a movie and she remains the star despite a supporting cast that does its best to steal every scene that it can. I can't help but think that this movie's success could soon signal her departure from television.
Like most of Apatow produced movies there was reportedly quite a lot of improvisation during the filming. For the most part this works as the cast is quite funny, but a couple of times a joke does run on for too long. It's especially noticeable because of the film's 2 plus hour running time, which is a bit long for a comedy. Take Annie's attempts to get the policeman Rhode's attention near the film's climax, as an example. By then the movie should be wrapping up, but the story is stopped dead by Wiig's repeated clowning. It's not that she isn't funny in the scene, but just that it should have been edited for the sake of the movie's structure.
Of the supporting cast of women, Melissa McCarthy gets the showiest part. Her tough talking, fight club bridal shower wanting, heavy-set character is rough and funny. Of all the characters besides Wiig, her scenes feel the most improvised, with mostly hilarious results. She certainly isn't afraid to put herself out there.
One thing these women aren't afraid to do is get down and dirty with a little gross-out humor. A bad experience at a bridal shop following some suspicious Brazilian food is disgustingly funny with bodily fluids and noises used to amusing effect.
Along with the comedy, the story does provide some heart with a romance between Annie and Rhodes, a police officer played by Irish comedian Chris O'Dowd (Roy on the British sitcom, The I.T. Crowd). He's nearly the only male character given much screentime, and while he plays the supporting part well, it is definitely a supporting part, as this is a chick flick, even if it is a chick flick with a difference.
I'd actually been growing tired of the Apatow style of comedy after so many films and so many imitations of his films, but perhaps it's the female cast angle that gives it a new life or maybe it's Wiig's script, but in any case Bridesmaids is easily the funniest movie of the year so far.
