Movie Review: Bridesmaids

A female version of The Hangover - but better!!

I'll go out on a limb and say that Bridesmaids will probably be THE funniest movie of the year - and that's a huge statement. I laughed so hard that I cried. Heck, I even clapped in one of the film's most hysterical scenes. Haha.

True, the premise was fairly simple and it was quite a straightforward narrative, but the surprising amount of depth the film had completely caught me off guard. I honestly didn't know what to expect from a female-driven Apatow production, but this was actually a refreshingly well paced comedy that obviously took it's time to develop the characters.

Thanks to the hilarious yet cleverly written script by Kristen Wiig herself. I thought that the writing was incredibly knowledgeable of the dynamics between women that the movie actually maximized the potential of the material - exhausting every possible chuckle on different situations. I sure was slightly worried as the first few minutes arguably resorted into cheapish slapstick gags, but as the plot thickens, the humor became more and more subtle and brilliant.

Before I even noticed it, the film threw everything right in front of me - toilet humor, physical comedy, sight gags and even dead pan delivery. Plus, the fact that Bridesmaids wasn't afraid to pull any punches just because the characters were all female.

Which brings me to the movie's most admirable element - the cast. Really. All gave solid, believable and occasionally completely over the top performances with particular standouts being Melissa McCarthy as Megan and Rose Byrne as Helen. And then there was Kristin Wiig. I wasn't sure if her brand of comedy could sustain an entire film, but she blew me away! Not only was she consistently funny, but she also gave her character that vibrant and dynamic life.

Oh, and can I just say that the scene with Rose Byrne and Kristin Wiig together were undoubtedly some of the most hilarious scenes I've seen this year! Better yet, the best cat fight I've seen without reaching to an actual physical fight. Haha.

Now, the film wasn't entirely perfect. As with all Apatow movies, some scenes were admittedly a little too long that it could probably do with some editing. There were also a few too many subplots - some of which were left unexplored. But then again, everything else about the film worked well so these things were little more than nitpicks no?

To be honest, I'll be very shocked if there's a BETTER mainstream comedy released this year. I mean, I had smiles plastered across my face after watching this film. I couldn't even stop taking about it with my friend for the next couple of hours. Yes, it's that good! And in an era saturated with unnecessary sequels, I actually left the movie hoping to see these girls again - and  that's a rare feeling these days.