The plot is standard enough - down-on-her-luck Annie (Wiig) is called to be maid of honor for her newly engaged best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph - I'm a huge fan); the bridal party is filled out by a group of mismatched ladies as the road to the altar becomes incredibly shaky (surprise!). Beyond her duties to Lillian, Annie also has her own set of issues to work out, starting from the very opening scene with oversexed douchebag Ted (Jon Hamm, reveling)... Melissa McCarthy gives a knock-out, laugh-cry performance as the groom's sister Megan, and Rose Byrne gleefully sinks her teeth into the role of beautiful bitch, and Lillian's new friend, Helen. However, the movie undoubtedly belongs to Kristen Wiig, who shows she's so much more than just a late-night character actress; her career beyond SNL is bound to be top A-list stuff if she keeps this up, as it's hard not to bask in a performance that truly shows off a star. Both hilarious and heartfelt, Wiig digs into Annie's emotional depths and subtitles as much as her giant laugh moments; she carries the film with ease, gracefully supported by a killer cast. It's one of the best, most layered comedic performances, male or female, in a long time.
What makes Bridesmaids such a winning endeavor is this perfect blend of big laughs with pathos. These actresses are fully committed, unafraid to push limits, especially in a deliriously funny gross-out scene while dress shopping (the airplane sequence, mentioned earlier, is my favorite part of the movie). But beyond the comedy, Wiig and Mumolo's tight script never forgets to establish fully realized characters and deep emotional resonance. Annie is facing problems she can't escape, rooted in her overwhelming loneliness - beneath a lot of her laughter rests a searing sadness; Wiig mines the careful balance between the two to find a winning protagonist in the severely flawed Annie. It's touches like these that raise Bridesmaids above forgettable comedic fare, and into the territory of a true film. Bridesmaids has a lot of heart, exploring the limits of friendship, trust, personal happiness, and love. Sure, the third act indulges in a few genre cliches, but the entire thing still feels fresh, that elusive giddy comedy magic. Every scene develops these characters, and it only helps that the entire cast deliver their jokes with such doubtless verve and undeniable chemistry. Now, what are the names of the guys in The Hangover again...? A
