The film critics aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave it 90%, an extravagantly wrongheaded score (which happens, folks), hailing Bridesmaids as the long-awaited chick-flick equivalent of Party Crashers and Hangover, noted for their scatalogic and brainless frat humor. This is a tribute, I suppose, to the intimidating power of misdirected vulgar feminism, which is as true to real feminism as a simple sketch is to a complete painting. We exhume this turkey because if there’s anything we can’t stand is overheated praise for mediocre work, which Bridesmaids certainly is, a fittingly formulaic H-wood artifact for a largely narcissistic and infantilized culture, where much too often idiocy is supposed to trigger laughs. The gnomes in Fantasyland know quite well that half a century of sitcoms packed with absurd situations and canned laughter have conditioned Americans to celebrate the most inane gags, no matter how tasteless.
Good romantic comedy is an established genre because besides the sheer joy of it, it carries a message of hope, that one of the most basic plots most people will enact in their lives will somehow come out alright. So when this is mishandled, when it’s squandered, it’s a little bit frustrating.
But to be fair, I’ve seen worse. Bridesmaids rises a few notches above stinkeroo because its main creator (who also carries much of the blame), SNL alumna Kristen Wiig, a Meg Ryan type with a sharp and bitter edge, is engaging and on occasion fetchingly charming. Did I say that Bridesmaids is supposed to be something of a romantic, liberating comedy for grown-up women? Well it is, up to a point, and much of the credit for that originates with Chris O’Dowd in a breakout role as lovestruck state trooper Rhodes. Yes, Rhodes. Somehow in the midst of what seems like a badly constructed screwball farce he manages to inject a measure of pathos that balances and anchors the meandering plot in ways the movie desperately needed.
Below, one of the few articulate reviews we found giving this flick its due. If you missed it, don’t feel too bad. It ran in The Baltic Times. There must be a lesson in that but we’ll have to talk about it another day.—P. Greanville
Bridesmaids, The Baltic Times
Jul 27, 2011
By Laurence Boyce
Director: Paul Feig
After years of battling inequality, the modern woman has done much to break down the barriers of sexism, unfair treatment and a society dominated by men. But there has been one thing eluding females for quite a while. Up and down the world, the fairer sex has been asking: “Why has no-one made a film like “The Hangover” but for women?” Fear not. With “Bridesmaids” the call has finally been answered.
Annie (Kristen Wiig) is in her mid-30s, with a failed business and no boyfriend. So when best friend Lillian announces her forthcoming wedding, Annie’s feelings are mixed. Things take a turn for the worst when Helen – another acquaintance of Lillian’s – enters the picture. She’s everything that Annie isn’t and is soon replacing Annie in Lillian’s affections. As Annie tries to take center stage as Maid of Honor amongst a group of other bridesmaids, things begin to spiral out of control. With Annie’s increasing jealousy, some crazy personalities and some strange situations, even a prospective relationship with a police officer, may not bring Annie the happiness she wants.
Whilst this has been celebrated for bringing a female perspective to the gross-out comedy, the trouble is that it’s not actually that funny. The plot seems disjointed and sketchy, lurching from one tired and forgettable set-piece to another and the gross-out elements – including one extended piece about food poisoning (I will leave the details to your imagination) – seem forced. Also, at a little over two hours, it just seems rather long and can’t sustain itself at all.
Despite this, the acting is good with Kristen Wiig giving a star-making turn in the lead role and Melissa McCarthy giving it some gusto in a great support performance as the straight talking Megan, whilst Chris O’Dowd manages to score one for the men in a charming performance as Annie’s new prospective flame.
There are things to like here and the idea is a noble one. But in execution, “Bridesmaids” is a typical chick flick just with some extra rude words and vomit.
