Director: Paul Feig, (4/5).
You’ve probably already heard about Bridesmaids: it’s been touted as ‘The Hangover for women’ and audiences, mainly female, are flocking to it in hordes. So is Bridesmaids as funny as the publicity implies? The short answer is yes. But Bridemaids incorporates more than just gags and hilarious set-ups: much of the humour is based on real life, which makes for both a more touching and a more painful watch.
Annie’s (Kirsten Wiig) life isn’t great. She has recently lost all her money to a collapsed baking business, lives with two creepy roommates and she’s pinning her relationship hopes on an asshole. Her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), is close to being her life-support system, which is why when Lillian breaks the news of her engagement, Annie is not quite as enthralled as she ought to be. Annie is appointed maid of honour, thrust into the world of wedding planning where she meets Helen (Rose Byrne), a fellow bridesmaid, who is prettier and much more successful than Annie. Helen is also, stealthily, set on supplanting Annie as Lillian’s best friend.
Meanwhile, Annie’s love life seems to be improving when she meets a cute Irish policeman called Nathan. But Annie is scared off by his eagerness, later moaning to Lillian ‘what is wrong with me?’ You begin to wonder the same thing, as Annie’s insecurities and her blunders in wedding planning snowball into a spectacular personal car-wreck.
Bit by bit, these worsening catastrophes destroy the simpering façade of bridesmaid-world. And they’re hilarious, thanks mostly to the stellar performances by Wiig (who co-wrote the film). The best scenes include Annie’s drug experience on a plane; a series of attempts to win back Nathan through reckless driving behaviour; and Annie’s final, magnificent breakdown at Lillian’s bridal shower.
Bridesmaids isn’t perfect. Some of the humour edges into extreme gross-out territory, such as the famous bridal gown studio scene, which is less funny than just repulsive. And you’ll see the ending coming a mile away – there is a shameless loyalty to the chick-flick formula. But the film is often insightful, clever and side-splitting. Maybe it’s a gender thing, but in my opinion, Bridesmaids by far outwits its male counterpart.
Bridesmaids
