Bridesmaids

Wow! What can I say about this movie. It is hilarious! I saw it twice in the theaters and laughed harder the second time. The last time that happened to me in a movie was The Hangover. This movie really outdid itself.

Bridesmaids really surprised me! I went into it with an open mind and walked out of the theater still laughing. I love seeing films written by and starring actors and actresses from Saturday Night Live (mainly because I really love Tina Fey and everything she does) and I loved seeing that it isn't just Tina Fey who is funny and has the talent to write a hilarious comedy.

Kristen Wiig is absolutely perfect for the role she plays; a combination of awkward, cute, and endearing. She and Maya Rudolph have some of the best female "sis" (read bro/frat guy) chemistry I've ever seen and it really pays off in the end of the film. They interact in ways that seem real. Never does it seem out of place to me. However, the character who I know will make the film entertaining for most guys is Megan played by Melissa McCarthy. She is one of the funniest characters of the film, if not the funniest and in my opinion nearly steals the whole film. Wiig's character, Annie, is funny and awkward and the one we follow throughout the film, but Megan provides a lot of the slapstick/crude humor. She acts as the male comedic relief to me. She's gaseous, open about her sexuality, and seems to really not care about what other people think of her. I think an obvious comparison, based solely on the self-confidence, is to Alan from The Hangover. Each one carrying their respective insecurities, yet each one striving to be themselves and acting no different around others.

The script for this movie could not have gotten any better. It had its' moments of gross out humor (puke), heartfelt humor (in the form of awkward humor), just straight up witty rapport throughout the dialogue, and of course heart. Having so many differing female personalities clash was pure genius! We get Annie and Lillian, the best friends for a long time, Becca (the newlywed), Rita (the unhappy married woman), Megan (the confident one), and Helen (the bitch). The acting and chemistry amongst these six characters is almost unbelievable! Every actress adds nuances to the characters that make them believable.

My personal stand-out performance, however, goes to Rose Byrne. As a guy I don't think I've experienced the same emotions portrayed throughout the film between Annie and Helen, but I felt them in the film. Helen is a controlling devil woman who, through Annie's eyes, is trying to steal Annie's best friend Lillian away. The things that Helen does obviously upset Annie and since we are cheering for Annie to prevail during the movie we can feel what the character feels. We begin to bond with Annie in the hatred of Helen. While this movie is nearly perfect, one flaw really bugged me.

The State Patrolman. In Wisconsin the state police do not sit around on side roads, they don't go into bars in their uniforms for a beer, and they can't use their car for personal use... I know those are small details of the great picture of the film, but it bothers me only because of how real the movie feels otherwise. A great deal of this felling of reality is simply because many of my friends could easily slip into Annie, Lillian, Becca, Rita, Megan, and Helen.

Bridesmaids was simply outstanding and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Definitely the comedy of the summer so far!

9.5/10