Bridesmaids

Annie is a single 30's something loser when it comes to men. When her childhood best friend Lillian breaks the news that she's engaged and wants her to be her maid of honor, Annie is both happy yet upset. She's known Lillian forever and they have a special language, a way of mocking the world around them in the raunchiest terms ever just to make each other laugh. When Lillian introduces her to the rest of the women that have been tagged as attendants, Annie realizes that Lillian has a life that doesn't include her.

Annie (Kristan Wiig) is carrying on in a strictly physical relationship with slick arrogant Ted (Jon Hamm in an uncredited role) . She isn't even allowed to stay overnight. There's a little bit of envy involved when Lillian (Maya Rudolph) tells her of her engagement. Annie is living with a creepy German brother and sister who want to evict out while working at a jewelery store. She can't pay her rent, her car is on it's last legs, her life basically sucks. She doesn't want move in with her mom (Jill Clayburgh) which becomes the last resort. At the engagement party she meets Helen who is the boss's wife of Lillian's fiancé. She's wealthy, beautiful and has declared that Lillian is her bestest friend ever. This brings up a competitive side of Annie who needs to prove that she worthy of being the maid of honor. A series of one-ups-man-ship ensues with Annie and Helen going toe to toe at being Lillian's best friend. Annie is also out of her element with the bizarre rituals inherent to the bridal party, and her attempts to bluff her way through is often met with hilarious results.

A lot movies about women have a tendency of falling into slapstick with annoying cat fighting. There's an emotional depth to these women that is treated respectfully even though you may be laughing at their antics. Annie's neediness goes into hyper overdrive by the last act battling Helen's control freak alpha personality. Wiig is always funny, yet shows a sensitive side, and her real life friendship with Rudolph shines through. It's Melissa McCarthy of TV's Molly and Me that steals the show as over sized, over sexed Megan who is the only one who clearly knows who she is and how she wants it. There's also the goofy state trooper Chris O'Dowd who falls for Annie after stopping her for a bad tail light. The other bridesmaids include Ellie Kemper from The Office and Wendi McLendon-Covey from Reno 911.

Produced by Judd Apatow with TV director Paul Feig turned the script by Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo's story into a Hangover for women. Foul language that sounds like the way a lot of women talk among themselves is faraway from the normal chick-lit type of rom-com. Some parts often indulges into a too long SNL skit, but some of the bits are laugh out loud hysterical. There's a bit that involves food poisoning and trying on wedding dresses that was both gross and funny.
(Review by reesa)