Bridesmaids [Blu-ray]

Annie (Kristen Wiig, TV's "Saturday Night Live", "Knocked-Up, "MacGruber") is going through a rough time; her bakery has closed, forcing her to take a job at a jewelers, she has move in with a creepy roommate (Matt Lucas, TV's "Little Britain") and his strange sister (Rebel Wilson), and she has a relationship with a rich guy (Jon Hamm) who seems to view her as more of a necessary tool to satisfy his sexual needs. Then, her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph, TV's "Saturday Night Live", "Away We Go", "Shrek the Third") announces she is engaged and wants Annie to be her Maid of Honor. At the engagement party, Annie meets Helen (Rose Byrne, TV's "Damages"), the wife of Lillian's fiancée's boss, and there is an instant competition between them. Because Annie is having such a difficult time with her finances, she tries to bluff her way through the increasingly expensive bridal party arrangements and plans. But the other women are determined to have some fun and spend some money. And every occasion seems marred by some difficulty.Written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo and directed by Paul Feig (an actor with many credits and a Judd Apatow protégé), "Bridesmaids" is a funny, funny film. Despite the moments of hilarity, some of which could be considered near brilliant, the film suffers from being too long, by at least a half hour, and this detracts from the overall quality.Wiig is often the bright spot of any "Saturday Night Live" episode. The weekend this film opened, she was the star of a skit called "Ann-Margaret Throws Away A Piece of Trash". It appeared at the end of the show, but it was a physical, funny and slightly brilliant idea with a dead-on impersonation of Ann-Margaret, circa the late 60s. It was also short. Many of the skits on "SNL" suffer because they go on too long. Wiig and Mumolo have written a story to give Wiig's strengths a showcase. There are elements of all of Wiig's memorable characters in Annie and thankfully most have been toned down to make the film more believable and interesting.But many of the scenes play out too long, beyond the funny parts, causing the film to drag. I realize they are trying to make a film about people we might really know, and want to infuse these characters with some humanity, but smaller doses of this world would have made the film seem funnier. It almost seems as though they couldn't decide if they wanted to make a comedy with some raunch, or if they wanted to make a romantic comedy with some funny moments.The movie, produced by Judd Apatow, is being sold as a raunchy-female version of "Knocked Up" or "The Hangover". It doesn't deliver on this. There is one scene like this, and it's good, but there is just the one sceneAnnie is played with a lot of heart. She and Laurie are great friends and have known each other for years. This is established quickly and allows us to witness this dynamic. When Laurie announces she is engaged, Annie is overjoyed but you can also see she is just a bit jealous. This is the beauty of Wiig. Much like Steve Carrel on "The Office", she is able to quickly reveal parts of her character while portraying something very different. When she hears the news, she is overjoyed but a subtle shift in her voice reveals the jealousy, and her competitive edge. Annie has a lot of different facets to her character and Wiig seems to not only embrace these, but to celebrate them.Lillian's fiancée lives and works in Chicago, so Annie makes the drive from Milwaukee to attend the lavish engagement party hosted by Helen (Byrne). This is an opportunity for Annie to meet all of Lillian's new friends. But she and Helen instantly begin competing against one another, using an evening toast to try to one-up each other.Given Wiig is the star of the film, she naturally has the lion's share of screen time. But it is nice to see a couple of other characters really stand out. Some stand out for the wrong reasons. As soon as Maya Rudolph's Lillian announces her engagement, she becomes a straight man, trying to remain calm as so many things go wrong. It isn't the flashiest of roles, but it gets the job done. As she begins to take on the responsibility and stress of becoming a bride, her character becomes more and more serious, more of a mediator between Annie and Helen, more of a cheerleader to keep Annie happy.Rose Byrne's Helen is a more complicated creation. She is necessary to provide the catalyst for Annie's insecurities, but if that were all she is, she would quickly become boring. During the engagement party, Annie's first glimpse of Helen seems pulled from a Grace Kelly film; Helen is tall, glamorous and turns towards her (us) in a way that makes Annie realize how pretty she is. Annie is more modest, wearing her best clothes, but they pale in comparison. And she is also dealing with the effects of the long drive, rumpled clothes and hair. Annie can't compete with Helen. When she feels she can, she tries, but Helen will always be able to outspend her. And Helen seems equally determined to compete with Annie for the one thing she can't buy - Lillian's BFF approval. It is nice to see the different levels of this character and the underhanded things she is willing to do to win the day.Even though it is natural, given the narrative conventions, for Lillian to ignore Helen's actions, this helps to make Lillian's character seem more mediocre.When Helen finally comes clean, it seems predictable and a little forced. It seems as though Wiig and Mumolo knew this moment had to come and worked hard to fit it in somewhere.The real stand out of this group is Melissa McCarthy (TV's "Mike and Molly") who plays Megan, Dougie's sister and a de-facto bridesmaid. She is a stocky, manly woman who likes to deal with things matter-of-factly, providing a firm handshake, her wrist covered by a carpal tunnel bandage, and a straight word. At the engagement party, she wears slacks, a button down shirt and a little Kangol hat, covering most of her hair. It's almost a cliché, but because she is the least acceptably "desirable", she is naturally the most sexually advanced of the group, the most outgoing, the most willing to try anything. She also consistently reveals new things about her character. Because she and Annie are the most different, Annie has the most trouble accepting her new friend. But she proves to be the most interesting of the bridesmaids.The other bridesmaids, played by Ellie Kemper (TV's "The Office") and Wendi McLendon-Covey are the most forgettable. In fact, they seem to disappear completely for the last half of the film.Annie's entire life is a mess, but the mess of her romantic perils takes center stage. She is in a relationship with a richer, better-looking man (Hamm) and their encounters are funny because they are so painful for Annie and we want to yell at her "Are you crazy?" Yet, she keeps coming back. After an evening of sex, which he seems to enjoy much more than she does, Annie leaves and tries to return to her car. But he hasn't opened his gate. Rather than face the indignation of returning to him, waking him up, and asking him, she tries to climb over. Just as she is about to slide over the top, the maid arrives and opens it with her clicker, Annie riding the gate like a mechanical bull.Later, she meets Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd, "Pirate Radio", "Gulliver's Travels (2009))", a Minneapolis State Trooper, who pulls her over. They run into each other again, start talking and eventually go on a date. He really is quite charming, and exactly the type of guy Annie should be with. But all of the distractions in Annie's life cause her to flip out when he makes a sweet gesture and she shuts him out. Later, she needs his help and has to go to great lengths to get his existence."Bridesmaids" is better written than most "SNL" comedies, most of which seem like a series of extended skits. But it does occasionally feel episodic: Engagement party, Bridesmaids have lunch, Try on gowns, Trip to Vegas, Bridal shower, Wedding. Each of these is funny to varying degrees. But when each of these set-ups ends, there are the 'in-between' scenes, the moments meant to move the narrative along and connect the dots. While well written, they are less funny and slow the entire film down. The best of these are the moments between Annie and her two lovers, because we all know people who are in the same situation and Annie seems to make the same choices they do, both good and bad. With Hamm's character, they are funnier, but with O'Dowd's character they are sweeter, more romantic and even a little charming.Three scenes really stand out for their comedic value. The engagement party which ends with the never-ending dueling toasts has another funny joke running throughout. Even during the toasts, when the scene seems to be going on forever and ever and ever, we start laughing for that very reason. Neither woman is willing to give up because to do so would give the other woman the upper hand.Later, Annie gets the bridal party to go to lunch at a Brazilian chiaroscuro. Despite the dubious appearance, they decide to go ahead at Lillian's urging. Everyone digs into the plethora of meats wholeheartedly. These moments pay off later when they try on gowns at a super-chic, expensive boutique.The bridesmaids decide they want to party in Vegas, despite Annie suggesting a more modest, local idea. Annie buys a coach ticket; everyone else splurges on First Class. As soon as Annie sits down, she starts to freak out because she is afraid of planes. Annie runs up to First Class to talk to Lillian. Helen quickly gives Annie some pills to calm her down. Everything escalates from there.The trip to Vegas is particularly good, well-written, funny and memorable. But it takes place about half way through the film. When it is over, the rest of the film is noticeably less funny and seems a bit long. It is still a good film, fun to watch, but it almost seems like a different film."Bridesmaids" is very good, if uneven. You should definitely check it out. I get the feeling this is the first of many memorable examples of Kristen Wiig's comedy we will get to see on the big screen.

I've had this dvd for several weeks now. Its very funny

I bought this for my wife and it is a great movie. No issues with the shipping or delivery.

Does this break new ground? No. That's hard to do in the 21st! Movies have been around for a century. They can't all be revolutionary. And that's fine, because they don't have to be. This was a fun ride, albeit 30min too long. The ideal comedy length is 90min FYI. The cast has chemistry and you'll see them together in other movies for a reason: they work well together. Melissa McCarthy was a scene stealer but her character was a delight so that helps. Rose Byrne is versatile as ever and it's hard to believe she starred in Insidious, Get Him to the Greek, and here. Wendy McLendon was underutilized. She is a riot on Goldbergs and Reno 911 but she gets very little screen time here. I get it, not everyone can get a spotlight, but more could've been done, that's all I'm saying.Bottom line at the bottom: you won't go wrong with this, provided you like the cast elsewhere.

I've watched this movie about 4 times since it came out. Melissa M, and the entire cast were hilarious!

I love it!!!

"Bridesmaids" is a movie I somewhat reluctantly chose to see. I say "reluctantly" for two reasons - 1) as a guy I'm not into the "chick flick" or "rom-com" genres and 2) the two leads (Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph) are both SNL veterans, and the sub-sub-mediocre Saturday Night Live lost all appeal to me a long time ago. However, a lady I recently started dating wanted me to pick a movie, and "Bridesmaids" seemed like the most promising of the dismal batch of movies currently showing in theaters. My ladyfriend kind of looked at me cross-eyed when I told her that's the movie I chose - "Really? That doesn't seem like the kind of movie a guy would pick". She was going solely by the title of the movie, though - I had done some internet research and knew that this movie had more up its sleeve than the title would imply. So, I hoped at least it wouldn't bore me to death.We went and saw it last night, and as it turned out I was lucky enough to have picked a winner. "Bridesmaids" is a sendup of male-driven gross-out buddy movies and a romantic comedy, a mix that I thought wouldn't work very well. And indeed there are some themes in the movie that seem forced or contrived, and wear a bit thin as the surprisingly long comedy (2 hours, 5 minutes theatrical running time) unfolds. But Wiig, who I hadn't known of before because of my disassociation from SNL, carries the movie wonderfully. She effortlessly portrays Annie, a discontented mid-thirtysomething who has pretty much failed at life. Her life takes a wild turn when her best friend Lillian (Rudolph) asks her to be maid of honor at her wedding. Annie immediately runs afoul of Lillian's new friend Helen (Rose Byrne), who as the controlling, rich trophy wife of Lillian's fiance's boss, uses her money and passive-aggressive elitism to not only foil Annie at every turn, but to draw Lillian away from Annie as well. Every time Annie tries to regain an even footing with Helen and re-take control of the duties (and prestige) of maid of honor, Helen, and Annie's own self-destructive incompetence, stop her dead in her tracks - always with laugh-inducing results.Not all the bridesmaid characters are fully fleshed-out in this movie, but they all do get their turn to contribute to the laughs. Bridesmaid Megan, boisterously portrayed by the in-your-face Melissa McCarthy, stole just about every scene she played a major role in. I was prepared to dislike her character based on her first appearance; at first it seemed like she was just cast to be the token, one-dimensional, overweight, plain, "fart joke" nobody in a group of otherwise prettier and more polished women. Megan has about as much class and sophistication as an ox in heat. However, as the movie progressed I began to like Megan a lot; in her totally unpolished and uncultured way she was the most honest, wise and forthright of the group. It's definitely worth watching a minute or two into the final credits, as Megan gets one more chance to shine her belching, flatulent light. For better or worse, the words "bear sandwich" will be indelibly seared into your mind after watching her final scene.The movie's most talked-about scene, a vomit- and feces-fest where the bridesmaids go shopping for dresses at an incredibly upscale and snooty bridal boutique after getting food poisoning at a run-down Brazilian restaurant (a restaurant picked by Annie, naturally), is deliberately plunked into the middle of the movie by the director (Paul Feig) as an ode to every gross-out guy flick ever made. Yeah, it was funny in its slapstick, gross-out way, but I'm still debating whether that scene, drawn-out as it was, was totally necessary. It seemed to be artificially inserted in the movie. But what the hey, it got the laughs and "e[...]" audience reactions it was going for.Wiig has a natural gift for physical comedy, and she demonstrates both the subtle and over-the-top aspects of this gift throughout. Her drunken attempts to sneak into first class on a flight to Las Vegas and subsequent run-ins with a prissy male flight attendant and the flight's air marshal are a gem. She's pretty, but in a down-to-earth way, and does not rely on her looks in the least to drive the film forward (other than using her wonderfully expressive face to convey her character's quirky, needy, flawed personality). "Bridesmaids" is Wiig's first cinematic star vehicle, and she did very well presenting us with a characterization of Annie as a character who is both sympathetic and humorous, both deeply human and clownish. I look forward to her next effort.Overall, I consider this movie a winner. Obviously a lot of other people thought so as well; it has grossed over 100 million dollars after costing 32 million to make. My ladyfriend and I both enjoyed this movie greatly. Advice to the guys reading this review - "Bridesmaids" is worth your time because although the movie is a nuptial-themed female-driven endeavor, this movie definitely is not your typical chick-flick rom-com. I will be pre-ordering this from Amazon, for sure.

Very happy with this thank you

Bridesmaids is the pinnacle of modern comedy. Comedy not being my genre (at all!) I always go into one with extremely low expectations. I remember watching this for the first time and was blown away at how much it entertained me. I may have only laughed once or twice, which in itself is an achievement for a cold soulless individual like myself, alas I couldn't help but smile throughout its runtime. Now approximately on my tenth viewing, I still can't wipe that grin off my face. The story is pretty formulaic, a group of bridesmaids trying to outdo each other in order to be the greatest friend to the bride. What sets this apart is the smart writing. Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo outdid themselves. The dialogue is on point. Not once, not twice, all the time. There isn't a single line here that made me think "ohhh actually that didn't work". Sure the narrative is filled with scenarios that's just asking for slapstick comedy, but that's a given in any film of the genre. Whether it be the airplane fiasco, driving recklessly to get the attention of a police officer or the food poisoning bridesmaids outfit fitting scene (which, can I just say, is one the funniest moments ever). It all works! The genius writing makes for some memorable characters. Each bridesmaid has a different personality and are able to bounce off each other beautifully in order to create the laughs. All of the actresses were perfect, like honestly the best casting choices available. Kristen Wiig was painfully good. Rose Byrne is always a favourite of mine. Maya Rudolph was surprisingly funny. Even our very own Chris O'Dowd was spot on! Melissa McCarthy obviously was the standout. Director Paul Feig owns modern comedy, and Bridesmaids proves this. Some of the scenarios are stretched out for slightly too long in an attempt to force some more laughs. And apart from the formulaic plot, I defy anyone to say they didn't enjoy this...even on the smallest of scales! It's just fun to watch and has reinvigorated comedy. Perfect if you're feeling down or want a good laugh with friends.

I did enjoy this film, it is funny however I didn't find it fantastically funny. Though i do know many people who have watched this film and believe it is hilarious, it all depends on the nature of your sense of humour, if you like toilet humour then you'll probably like this, but it's certainly not high-brow humour!

Good film, really funny. I had to get this as I always fell asleep before the film finished on the TV. Pleased I did, brilliant

Saw the advert and thought it looked funny, which is was, if not, as with most rom coms, somewhat predictable, Still a good 'easy watch' when you want something light and entertaining.

Very funny and enjoyable film.