Review: Bridesmaids

When a new comedy actually delivers laughs, it is a borderline miracle — a gift that should be cherished by all moviegoers (OK, maybe not those younger than 15 or 16, in this case). So rarely do we actually get to laugh out loud with any frequency at the movies; in fact, the last time I can remember doing so was nearly a year ago, when the wildly underrated She’s Out of My League came out. But Bridesmaids, living up to the Judd Apatow brand, is the rare exception to the rule — a comedy that will actually exercise your abdominal muscles. The jokes consistently hit, and this is a beautiful thing to be a part of. In an homogenized moviegoing environment where we all too frequently shuffle in and out of megaplexes like cattle–or forgo the experience altogether in favor of our home theaters–there is nothing like a good comedy, which brings the audience together and reminds them of the power of communal viewing. Bridesmaids may not have any artistic aspirations for greatness, but it serves a great purpose, which is just as honorable.

The film stars and was co-written by Kristen Wiig, who sheds all of her irritating “Saturday Night Live” pretense in favor of a character that is more human (if, like everyone else in the movie, something of a caricature). She plays Annie, a thirtysomething in crisis after a rough break-up and the failure of her pride and joy of a small business (a neighborhood bakery). The audience is introduced to her as she serves as one of presumably many booty-calls for the hilariously over-the-top misogynist Ted (John Hamm). Annie’s life gets even more miserable when her lifelong friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged and she struggles to prove herself as maid-of-honor, facing stiff competition from Lillian’s new friend Helen (Rose Byrne), a pampered pit-bull of a CEO’s wife. Also along for the ride are fellow bridesmaids Becca, some variation of actress Ellie Kemper’s clueless character on “The Office”; Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), the white-trash mom who dreams of cheating on her husband; and Megan (Melissa McCarthy), that scary, not-all-there obese woman who may have tried to talk you up in line at Walmart. Nothing much happens, but hilarious (and often extremely crude) drama certainly ensues as the wedding approaches.

I could go into the jokes, but why would I spoil the fun? They are the bread and butter of Bridesmaids, as the plot–and its subplots, including Wiig’s surprisingly sweet romance with Chris O’Dowd’s Irish police office–follow an entirely predictable path. What I will say is that viewers should shed any preconceived notions about the film, as Universal’s marketing campaign has hardly done it justice. No, it is not another Sex and the City; while the cast is female-dominated, the humor is far more in line with previous Apatow productions such as Knocked Up. Guys will have a great time watching it. On the opposite end of the spectrum: No, Bridesmaids is not the “female version of The Hangover,” as many have all too conveniently labeled it. While it may share the 2009 hit’s no-holds-barred sensibilities, it actually has nicely defined characters, firmly planted in a story, making the humor far less scattershot and therefore funnier. Also making its way along the grapevine is the fact that the film is over two hours long, which indeed seems daunting for a comedy to sustain. However, despite valid length-related gripes in some quarters, I think Bridesmaids more than earns its run-time, carefully developing personalities and situations and getting results. All of this just goes to say: the movie is damn funny and, unless you are extremely averse to bawdy humor, you will have a great time watching it. This is one instance where you won’t regret parting with $10.

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Bridesmaids (2011, USA). Produced by Judd Apatow, Paul Feig, Barry Mendel, Annie Murnolo, Clayton Townsend, and Kristen Wiig. Directed by Paul Feig. Written for the screen by Kristen Wiig and Annie Murnolo. Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Chris O’Dowd, and Jon Hamm. Distributed by Universal Pictures. Rated R, with a running time of 125 minutes.