An Incredibly Funny, Raunchy, and Crass Comedy – Especially Coming from a Woman Writing About Weddings
Annie’s life is a mess. Her roommate is squeezing her for rent, her boss demands she smile properly, and her lover casually asks her not to stay until morning. Her best friend Lillian is getting married and asks her to be a bridesmaid, which stirs up conflicting feelings in Annie. Especially since she has to compete with Lillian’s future husband’s rich and beautiful boss for the role of chief wedding organizer.
Actually, the original title of the film is “Bridesmaids,” but the localized title “Bridesmaids in Vegas” describes the comedy much more accurately, even though the characters don’t actually make it to the gambling capital – they’re kicked off the plane for drunken antics. Moreover, in some ways, “Bridesmaids…” even outdoes “The Hangover Part II” (2011) and feels more like a female version of Judd Apatow’s comedies (he’s actually a producer here). And by “female,” I mean with women, not softer or in pink packaging.
“Bridesmaids…” was also written by a woman, namely Kristen Wiig, who plays the lead role and has already prompted American critics to talk about the birth of a new comedic star. History is silent on what exactly motivated the 37-year-old actress to go solo, but, by God, let it continue to drive her: Wiig and her co-author Annie Mumolo have created such hilarious moments that it becomes perfectly clear – Diablo Cody’s legacy lives on and will show everyone what’s what: and not just “Kuzkina’s mother,” but gestures far more indecent.
Wiig doesn’t mince words (in its awfulness, the food poisoning scene is perhaps capable of embarrassing even Apatow himself), but she didn’t go far for the plot, which, by and large, is molded according to rom-com templates. “Bridesmaids…” is the story of a skinny Bridget Jones who gets drawn into “Bride Wars” (2009) with some positional moves from a recent story called “You Again.”
And, in general, it’s immediately clear that Annie will eventually choose the right guy, make up with her friend, and put her successful competitor in her place, but the familiar melancholy in Wiig’s eyes, as she torments her character much more consciously than the authors of the aforementioned films, gives her much greater credibility. Yes, Kristen knows life, and knows how to laugh at it.