Bridesmaids: Movie Review

Bridesmaids: Movie Review

Bridesmaids
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm, Chris O'Dowd
Director: Paul Feig
From its opening sex scene and with the first words being spoken being about cupping a part of the anatomy, you can tell Bridesmaids is going to tread lightly.
Wiig plays Annie, lifelong friend to Maya Rudolph's Lillian. Annie's a bit of a self saboteur; her bakery business went down the drains and she's got low self esteem from one night stands with Hamm's sleazy Ted.
She's not heading anywhere fast - and when Lillian reveals she's getting married, Annie's given the role of maid of honour.
However, as she begins to plan the wedding, she runs into the social circle of Lillian's friends; one of whom, Helen (Rose Byrne) becomes her nemesis.
So a rivalry is formed - and despite Annie's best attempts, the disagreements and resentment threaten her place in her best friend's wedding...
Bridesmaids is the best kind of R rated film - raucously funny and really rude in places.
From producer Judd Apatow, you'd be expecting something a little close to the edge - but what actually transpires is probably one of the best examples of an all female led frat pack.
There's a series of set pieces here; an awful dinner which leads to a wedding fitting which ends in the worst possible way; a trip to Vegas that sees the girls thrown off the plane; it's some pretty funny stuff - and in a very unexpected way.
Kristen Wiig (who co-wrote this) is the star of the show; with her natural comic timing and some hilarious dialogue and scenes, she's now finally a star in her own right (after years of honing it on Saturday Night Live); Rose Byrne is also good as the rival and Chris O'Dowd (from the IT Crowd) shines through as a cop who's also a nice guy.
The representation of female rivalry and one upmanship is perfectly captured in the screenplay and while it occasionally reaches hysterical heights, it always feels real - mainly thanks to the persona and acting of Kristen Wiig who clearly is bound for great things.
Of the fellow Bachelorettes, not many of them stand out - perhaps the best (and recipient of the worst treatment during the wedding fitting) is Melissa McCarthy's Megan. In this she's the female equivalent of Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover - and she gets some of the best (and crudest) lines.

Sure, it's not going to be to everyone's tastes but to be honest, Bridesmaids is an unexpectedly good treat; it's crude enough for the boys to enjoy and accurate enough for the women to steal some guilty pleasure from too.