Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids does for female comedies this year what The Hangover did for most men last year.  Bridesmaids is a film that stars Kristen Wig and Maya Rudolph.  The film is centered around Annie who is asked to be in her friend Lillian’s bridal party.  Annie has been friends with Lillian since grade school.   Annie feels like she has to compete with a person in Lillian’s bridal party who happens to be rich named Helen.   Helen is played by Rose Bryne who is known for her role on Damages.  The rivalry for Lillian’s affections between Helen and Annie is hysterical.  Most of the humor works because I was curious how both women would continue to try and one up each other.  The other plot that makes Bridesmaids work so well is the plot involving Annie’s love life.  Annie starts the film in a no strings attached relationship with Ted.  She eventually develops an attraction to an Irish cop named Nathan Rhodes.

Bridesmaids has about 5 big gags that gave me a huge laugh.  What makes this film work however is the dialogue and interplay the actresses all have with each other.  Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wig feel like they could be best friends.  Both actresses have a connection with each other as actresses who were lead players on Saturday Night Live.  I thought Rose Bryne would be the actress most out of place in the film but she equips herself surprisingly well as the foil to Kristen Wig’s straight-laced Annie.  I think the breakout actress of the film is Melissa McCarthy as Megan.  She provides the film with the most inappropriate and random comments.  All of the humor McCarhty provides is situational comedy rather than being comedy that is driven by dialogue.  In essence, McCarthy is the fat best friend in this comedy.  Bridesmaids was directed by Paul Feig who got his start writing and directing episodes of the cult television show Freaks and Geeks.  Feig is a capable director for this film because  he gives the audience a certain amount of set up before the jokes come into play.  Somehow the camera and the editing slowly allow you to get to know these characters instead of taking you from one disaster to another.  This film does exactly what comedies are supposed to do, making you laugh while subtly getting you to care about the characters you meet.  I’d party with those bridesmaids.