Bridesmaids is a 2011 American comedy that has received endless praise from critics and fans alike. Unfortunately, I cannot do the same. Sure, perhaps I am biased, since the humour of modern comedies usually don’t suit my tastes and I miss the good-old days of the 90s comedies. And while I watched the film with an open mind, it could not dissuade my dislike.
The film has a female-ensemble cast, including Kirsten Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy. Each are great comedic actors in their own rights. But not even that could redeem this film.
Don’t get me wrong, it is about time we had a female comedy film which received as much success as this one, and I am glad it received the praise it got, including getting nominated for a Golden Globe for best comedy and two Academy nominations. But Bridesmaids just could not do it for me. But as we go on, I think it is safe to say, my opinion will be an unpopular one. So read on at your own peril.
Once A Bridesmaid…
I guess my main gripes for Bridesmaids is its style of comedy. I enjoy gross gags and raunchy jokes as much as the next person, but when a film relies so heavily on these to catch the laughs, that is where I have to put my foot down. For me, I prefer clever gags and physical comedy. Call me old-fashioned, I suppose.
Normally, I enjoy Melissa McCarthy and it is no surprise she is receiving all the recognition she deserves for her comedy. (Will we ever be able to take Sean Spicer seriously ever again?) But in this film her comedy doesn’t fit right with me. I think it would have been far more satisfactory if she and Wiig stuck to their good-old SNL humour.
The comedy and the plot go hand-in-hand here. The plot is boring. I am tired of films with women at its centre where there is always a forced romantic element. This film is no exception. I wouldn’t mind a certain level of romance coming from a film called “Bridesmaids” but when the romance is as forced as this one, I can’t let it slide.
Chris O’Dowd also plays a role in this film. And yes, I’m counting him alone as a reason for my dislike of the film. I think everyone has that one actor who they simply cannot stand and they have no idea why. In real life, he seems like a perfectly nice and funny guy. But when it comes to his films, I just can’t watch them. I dislike his acting style, his humour never seems to work and I’ve seen him in plenty of films which I haven’t liked. (Gulliver’s Travels, I’m looking at you.) At least it’s good to see more and more Irish actors getting involved in popular films, getting global recognition.
…Always A Bridesmaid
So, what is the film about, you ask?
Bridesmaids follows Annie (Kristen Wiig) a woman down on her luck. She is asked to be the bridesmaid of her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Lillian is currently her only source of happiness and joy, in an endless stream of misfortunes in her personal and professional life.
Annie meets Lillian’s other bridesmaids at her engagement party. They include: Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Becca (Ellie Kemper), Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and Helen (Rose Byrne).
Annie and Helen begin a jealous feud over their friendship with Lillian, and that serves as the main conflict for the entirety of the film. After that, it follows a series of events with Annie and Helen constantly trying to make each other look bad. And of course, this leads to some issues between Annie and Lillian. Because this film follows an unsurprising, familiar plot. Once the plot has established itself not long into the film, it isn’t difficult to see where the rest of the story is going to go.
Next, as you may have guessed, Annie and Helen eventually put aside their differences when Helen has a random change of heart. And Lillian’s big-day goes ahead as planned.
Oh yeah, and there is that forced romantic subplot I mentioned previously, between Annie and Chris O’Dowd‘s character, Nathan. Nothing much really to say other than that.
Conclusion?
The plot of Bridesmaids is nothing new. It’s a boring, recycled story line we’ve seen over and over. The humour tries too hard and just falls flat. Although I can see why people might like it – after all, it’s just not my type of humour. McCarthy and Wiig certainly did well for themselves after making it!
Still, for someone who somehow managed to sit through this film twice at two separate sleepovers, I really wish I could form a kinder opinion of it!
Do you agree with my opinion of Bridesmaids, or do you think I’m judging it too harshly? Let us know in the comments below!
Doing a little of this, a little of that. If you see me holding a camera, run!
