Plot: Annie (Kristen Wiig) is a woman in her mid-thirties selling rings at a local jewelry store after failing in a bakery shop venture. Lonely, broke, and finding occasional comfort in sex buddy Ted (Jon Hamm) Annie suddenly is asked to be the maid of honor at her best friend Lillian's wedding. However, her rivalry with Lillian's friend Helen (Rose Byrne) causes unexpected and sometimes funny complications.
Review: Many critics have touted director Paul Feig's Bridesmaids as a hilarious anti-chick flick comedy. I unfortunately am not one of those people. Considering the impressive cast going in I was severely underwhelmed by the cheap gross out jokes, incredibly predictable plot, and a running time that was too long by at least a half an hour.
Kriten Wiig's Annie evokes little if no empathy and I found it very difficult to care about her plight. She laments everything from her broke down car, her fading relationship with Lillian, and her dismal love life. Make no mistake though Annie is no victim of circumstance. She chooses all of the bad decisions she makes managing somehow to even ruin her budding relationship with local police officer Nathan Rhodes (The I.T. Crowd's Chris O'Dowd). When Lillian (temporarily) kicks Annie out of her wedding it's not only deserved but a relief.
Meanwhile director Paul Feig should have enacted more creative control over Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo's script. Rather than attempting at least a modicum of wit, Feig instead capitalizes almost exclusively on gross out humor like the bridesmaids' disastrous trip to a Brazilian restaurant or future sister in law Megan's (Melissa McCarthy) raunchy come on to a airplane passenger. Somehow Bridesmaids even managed to work in an appearance by musical group Wilson Phillips just to make the travesty complete.
Bridesmaids by no means is a completely awful film. Melissa McCarthy (who you may recognize from television's Mike and Molly) provides several very needed laughs throughout the film as Megan. Her Fight Club suggestion for a bachelorette party is particularly hilarious. Rose Byrne is strong as the uber rich Helen who tries to outdo Annie at every turn. However, the Damages television star seems more suited to drama than she does for comedy.
Bridesmaids masquerades itself as a raunchy guy comedy without the guys. Unfortunately it just doesn't work on screen. Guys don't let your women fool you, this is a chick flick all the way. You won't want to show up for the engagement party let alone the wedding in Bridesmaids.
My rating: 4/10
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