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At last, deadpan queen Kristen Wiig gets the spotlight she deserves in “Bridesmaids,” an indecently funny and surprisingly big-hearted comedythat’s worthy of far more than its reductive tag as “‘The Hangover’ for Girls.”
There is an impending wedding, and Vegas and drugs do play pivotal roles in the comic high point (puns!), but it’s more character study than ensemble bash, more zeroed-in narrative than shock-laden farce. And, yet, those latter descriptors shouldn’t be counted out, either. There’s hysterical, airy fun to be had in “Bridesmaids,” with firm ground to plant your feet on.
Wiig (who co-wrote the script with Annie Mumolo) plays Annie, a 30-ish, out-of-work baker who proves there’s no set age for a coming-of-age crisis. Burned by the economy, men and her own self-limiting isms, she finally cracks when she’s appointed maid of honor by her newly engaged best friend, Lillian (a perfect Maya Rudolph). Things get ugly — and smelly, and sloppy and violent — with the intro of Lillian’s other maids: Prudish Becca (Ellie Kemper), boorish Megan (Melissa McCarthy), brash Rita (Wendy McLendon-Covey) and sickeningly perfect Helen (Rose Byrne), who’s out to unseat Annie as Lillian’s BFF.
On its own, the goldmine of comediennes makes “Bridesmaids” a must-see (every performance is unfettered bliss), but the collabo of Wiig, producer Judd Apatow and director Paul Feig (“Freaks and Geeks”) inks it high on the list of the year’s best comedies. Beyond its wit and spit-out-your-Coke hilarity (though I could’ve done without that diarrheal dress-fitting), it’s delightfully language-driven and talky, and it offers winning insights into the senselessness — and, indeed, silliness — of jealousy and personal stagnation.
At the risk of drawing a gender line that “Bridesmaids” is coolly unaware of, it’s worth noting how sweet it is to see a female-driven mainstream flick with such minimal compromise. This is not your average nestled-in-a-box chick movie, nor does it cater to men. It’s charming and riotous, sweet and fierce. It’s also the rare comedy I’d watch again and again.
Bridesmaids
R
Three-and-a-half reels out of four
Opens tomorrow in area theaters
Recommended Rental
No Strings Attached
R
Now Available
Before you hook up with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis in this summer’s “Friends with Benefits,” catch Ashton Kutcher and the invaluable Natalie Portman in this like-minded, underrated precursor, which hits all the usual marks but uncorks the bubbly gifts of its freshly-Oscared leading lady.
It’s no shocker where things go when two pals use each other for sex, but Portman’s steal-the-show comic timing will blindside you. SPR
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