Film Review: Kristen Wiig Carries Charming Comedy of ‘Bridesmaids’

Submitted by BrianTT on May 13, 2011 - 10:26am

CHICAGO – With an incredibly talented ensemble, heartfelt script, and honest characterizations, “Bridesmaids” has been touted as a revolutionary re-examination of what one should expect from the phrase “chick flick.” Having never been much of a fan of genre labels, the idea that this film should be judged differently because it has female stars irks me a bit, but if that gets more people into theatre seats and away from the junk that typically qualifies as “entertainment for women,” I’ll happily embrace it. For whatever reason you see it, the most important thing to know is this simple – “Bridesmaids” is funny. Damn funny.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

At its best, Paul Feig’s film is more than just funny. Star Kristen Wiig (and she really should be a Star with a capital S after this breakthrough performance) finds the humanity usually missing from not just the chick flick but the modern comedy in general. With Feig’s gentle touch, the film reminds one of producer Judd Apatow’s best work, films in which he refused to turn his characters into plot devices, allowing them to become three-dimensional while being endearingly goofy at the same time.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Bridesmaids” in our reviews section.

Now, I do think that some critics are going overboard in their praise of the film (probably because they’ve been beaten down by a genre that has given them such horrendous fare as “Bride Wars” and “Something Borrowed”). “Bridesmaids” is a good comedy but it also suffers from that Apatow-verse problem with pacing, running twenty minutes longer than it needs to be. The film can be frustratingly inconsistent, working in fits and starts instead of finding a comic groove. And that holds it back from greatness even if it’s still well-worth seeing.

Annie (Wiig) is kind of a bitter soul. She’s been unlucky in love and unlucky in business and one of the few things she has left to hold on to is the friendship she has with Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Her bosom buddy has been running down to Chicago to hang with her boyfriend while Annie sulks in Milwaukee. One day, Lillian announces that she’s getting married and she’d like Annie to be her Maid of Honor.

Continue reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Bridesmaids” review.

”Bridesmaids” stars Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Jon Hamm, and Chris O’Dowd. It was written by Wiig & Annie Mumelo and directed by Paul Feig. It is rated R and was released on May 13th, 2011.