For the last few months, I’ve held the idea that Kristin Wiig was an over exposed talent on the fledgling Saturday Night Live. I have always proclaimed my love for Wiig and her abilities, but with clueless writing and characters being driven into the ground, Wiig seemed like a caged bird more than a woman on the cusp of stardom. Thankfully Wiig’s abilities were given room to breathe with her own comedic vehicle, Bridesmaids. Co-written by Wiig and directed by TV stalwart Paul Feig, Bridemaids is the female answer to the likes of The Hangover and Knocked Up. Even though the film has a concrete female perspective, something that has been drastically missing from not only comedies, but also the film world, it still maintains a level of raunch and hilarity that surpasses its male driven comedic counterparts.
Wiig stars as Annie Walker, a thirty-something desperately trying to find her place in the world after the economic crash took away her business and subsequently her lover went away with it. With a shit job and a place of residence that finds exploits her kindness, Annie implicitly enjoys the follies of her common man and woman, a form of validating her current state of affairs. Things turn worse for Annie though when her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), asks her to be the maid of honor. Anxiety consumes Annie as she tries to circumvent jealously. After all, Lillian is achieving a life goal that has seemingly passed Annie by. Amidst her emptiness and envy, Annie begrudgingly accepts her rite of passage as she begins to plan the festivities for her friend’s glorious event. Knowing that this is a comedy and Kristen Wiig is an actress who excels at wringing out awkward laughs, one can deduce that being maid of honor doesn’t bode well for Annie. With mounting financial pressure and the paranoia that she’s no longer completely in touch with Lillian, Annie continuously finds herself in situations where she inadvertently threatens to derail her friendship and the wedding’s good tidings.
From setting the bridal party up for food poisoning to mixing alcohol and medication, a combination that ruins a trip to Vegas, Annie is constantly engaging in incidents that fulfill our desire for amusement. Wiig is nearly flawless in every visual gag and punch line, but surprisingly she possesses a great deal of vulnerability which allows us to forgive and love her neuroses. Not to mention, such vulnerability makes it easy to swallow the end’s sentimental feelings.Wiig’s standout performance is only matched by the supporting effort of Melissa McCarthy who plays Megan, the rotund, loud-mouth sister-in-law of Lillian. McCarthy owns just about every scene she’s in as her crude jokes and impeccable timing deliver some of the film’s biggest laughs. I’d honestly be surprised if this role doesn’t ignite her career.
Rounding out the team of bridesmaids are the always dependable comedic talents of Maya Rudolph, Wendy McClendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and a fine turn from Rose Byrnes, an actress more aligned with the dramatic world. All of the actresses involved gleefully play with the quips they’re given and deliver a film that isn’t as ridiculous as the likes of The Hangover, but is just as funny and memorable. In the end Bridesmaids made me wish Kristen Wiig had more film vehicles. Even more so, it made me wish comedies, ones that hold nothing back, were more female driven.
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