Bridesmaids (2011)

There is something to be said for a film, even if it's flawed, if it does its best to break out of conventional stereotypes. Such is the case here, where the audience gets to see an unabashed portrait of flawed, funny, gross women in a not so sappy chick-flick. Diaphragms, bowel movements, pill-popping and hungry bears are just some of the stupid and hilarious antics used here that proves that women can be just as funny as men.

SNL's Kristen Wiig co-wrote and stars as Annie, a single, middle-aged, failed cupcake baker who lives with a couple of creepy, English siblings and whose life has stalled. Everywhere she turns people are getting married and settling down, and they seem to be looking at her confusedly as she is not. When her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) becomes engaged and asks Annie to be the maid of honor, it seem that this is simply one more nail in her coffin of loneliness.

A conventional story would have Annie fall in love with Lillian's fiance, but Wiig is far too clever for that. Instead, Annie discovers that Lillian has a potential new best friend, the beautiful, rich, well-connected and perfect Helen (Rose Byrne). Annie's hapless failings at organizing the bachelorette party and the wedding lead to the wedging in of Helen. It becomes a film of high school types jealousies.

"Bridesmaids" is by the same producers as "The Hangover" and threatens to enter territory oddly similar. An odd mash-up of women as the other bridesmaids who take a Vegas road trip gives that moneymaking deja vu feeling, but the film works in spite of itself. The gags are strong, the writing at times incredibly sharp and the film has more than its fair share of fine comedic performances.

Wiig, in particular, shines as a hot mess of a woman whose fear of success leads her to riotously hilarious consequences. Melissa McCarthy as the loud-mouthed and outspoken soon to be sister-in-law of Lillian is also particularly funny. Besides that, the other actors--though not nearly as humorous--are all quite good. Chris O'Dowd plays an Irish cop and Annie's possible love interest (why am I even saying possible? The film doesn't stretch that much), and Byrne is also very capable.

Despite an at times painfully funny first two-thirds, the film reaches some very dark places in the latter portion of the film when Annie reaches a downward spiral of bad events. It leads our characters to some very troubled places and then does not give enough time to pull itself out. With a final couple of scenes that rely more on gimmick than actual comedy I left the film more upset than uplifted. Relationships aren't made and broken so quickly and neither is a laugh. Set up then punchline, as opposed to set up, punch, then punchline. That's not funny.

However, there are still enough jokes in here for me to strongly recommend this film. I blush to admit that the bout of food poisoning made me giggle endlessly, but I guess that was what they were going for and they succeeded. I'm sure that there is more than enough in here to give you a "Hangover"-style good time.

3/4