Gross On the Outside, Sweet On the Inside
The advance buzz on Bridesmaids was to call it the female version of The Hangover. This film was going to show that women could be just as raucous and rip-roaring as men. There was going to be a lot of cursing, a lot of gross jokes and a lot of sexual innuendos. The movie has all that and more. What it also has is a sweet center that makes the movie more acceptable to audiences across the board.
Kristen Wiig plays Annie, a woman going through a rough patch in her life. She opened a bakery shop but that business failed. She had a steady boyfriend but he left her. Now she is involved with a shallow guy named Ted (Jon Hamm) and he treats her with less than respect. In the midst of all this, her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), announces she is getting married and wants Annie to be her maid of honor.
Being maid of honor is a big responsibility and requires Annie to plan a festive meal, a bridal shower and a getaway for Lillian and the other bridesmaids. This takes time and money, both of which are in short supply. Annie also has to contend with Helen (Rose Byrne), Lillian's new friend, who is a wealthy woman who tries to take over everything. The rivalry between Annie and Helen becomes a centerpiece of the film.
Another one of the bridesmaids is Megan (Melissa McCarthy). This woman is a bit overweight but full of self confidence. She says what she thinks and lets the chips fall where they might. Her relationship with Annie is another focal point of the film and a very funny one.
The language in the movie is blue as can be. These women can out-curse their male counterparts. There are also jokes about bodily functions that teeter on the edge of horribly bad taste but somehow never fall over. There are some in the audience who will be offended but the majority will just howl along with the rest of us.
This film is Wiig's time to shine. She makes Annie a full character and one whom the audience is rooting for from the start. When Annie meets the loveable Officer Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd) the romantic aspect of the film kicks in big time and Wiig makes Annie as vulnerable as can be. We leave this film wanting another entire movie about Annie and Rhodes.
This movie is rated R for profanity, gross humor and sexual situations.
Bridesmaids is a movie I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. I though the profanity and gross situations would be too much of a turn-off. I was wrong. The movie has all the requisite R-rated aspects but also has a sweet center to it. The relationships between Annie and the women in the bridal party make this a movie to enjoy from beginning to end.
Kristen Wiig has long been one of the bright spots of Saturday Night Live and now she has conquered the big screen. There is no stopping her now.
I scored Bridesmaids a wedded 7 out of 10.