Bridesmaids [2011]
Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Comedy
Language: English
Country: USA

Is this the beginning of a new genre? The raunchy “Chick Flick”?

Bridesmaids is not your typical romantic comedy. In fact, to call it as such is a bit of a disservice. Many have compared this movie to The Hangover, which is a fair comparison, even if Bridesmaids doesn’t quite reach the level of the other’s Vegas shenanigans.

Kristen Wiig stars as Annie, the maid of honor for her best friend’s (Maya Rudolph as “Lillian”) upcoming wedding. While dealing with the stresses of this important role, Annie’s life starts to collapse all around her. She struggles to handle the possessive Helen (Rose Byrne), a bridesmaid who feels the need to take control of the pre-wedding events. She has issues with her job at a jewelry store, frequently scaring off customers with her “love is doomed” rantings. Her love life is in disarray; her current sleazy “boyfriend” (an uncredited Jon Hamm) is more of a self-labeled fuck buddy, and he treats her like shit. Annie is definitely a sad case, but damn if she isn’t funny as hell!

I have never been a huge Kristen Wiig fan. She is pretty much hit-or-miss for me, and I never really fell in love with anything she’s done. That has all changed with Bridesmaids. This is Wiig’s movie when all is said and done (she even co-wrote it), and she has some damn good comedic chops here. Her brand of physical comedy is hilarious, particularly during an elongated airplane scene in which she is unbelievably inebriated. Her timing is great, and she shows strong chemistry with her fellow women on screen, including a surprisingly hilarious dance-off with Maya Rudolph. I can really see this being the start of big things with Wiig.

The rest of the cast is great as well. The aforementioned Byrne excels as the wealthy rival of Annie. The other bridesmaids, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and Melissa McCarthy, all have their moments, but I thought McCarthy surprised the most. She is perhaps the most crude of the bunch, and she has some hilarious moments on the airplane ride with someone she suspects is an Air Marshal. In a movie dominated by women, Chris O’Dowd’s police officer character is really the only likable male to be found, and he is certain to charm the ladies.

While some traditional “Chick Flick” moments are in place, Bridesmaids does not hesitate to bring on the raunchiness. There are a lot of relentless sex jokes and vulgar language, and there is even a ridiculously over-the-top scene that involves excessive human excrement. Yeah, this movie goes there.

I could have done without some of the more slapstick sequences, but for the most part Bridesmaids is a hilarious romp from beginning to end. Consider me a Kristen Wiig fan from this point forward — I can’t wait to see what she does next. Guys, don’t be afraid to give this movie a shot. This is a lot of fun for both genders, no doubt.

8/10