Bridesmaids Wiig Out Under Pressure.

Bridesmaids

It is amazing how fickle the business of film can be. Studios executives and Hollywood pundits are constantly talking about a film’s success in regards to dollar values. Yet they consistently are surprised when certain films, that they show little faith in, get big numbers at the box office. The funny thing is that many of these" surprise hits" are not surprises at all. Take Bridesmaids for example, it has been called the sleeper hit of the summer, but is it really that much of a “sleeper”? You would think Hollywood would learn from the success of the Sex in the City films, Titanic, Dear John, The Blindside, The Twilight franchise, and almost every single Tyler Perry film that women are big cinema goers. They always have been and, just like their male counterparts, they crave a good story with identifiable characters.

Written by, and starring, Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids is a comedy that looks how life can alter friendships in the most unexpected ways. Annie (Wiig) and Lillian (Maya Rudolph) have been best friends since they were children. Annie’s life has been in a tail spin ever since her bakery business closed down. Working at a job she hates, and in a “friends with benefits” type of relationship with Ted (John Hamm), Lillian is the only uncomplicated thing in Annie’s life until she announces that she is engaged. Annie then finds herself in the Maid of Honor role responsible for planning the Bachelorette Party for Lillian and the rest of the bridesmaids. Lillian’s bridesmaids include Helen (Rose Bryne) who is the wife of Lillian’s fiancé’s boss, Lillian’s future sister-in-law Megan (Melissa McCarthy), Lillian’s jaded cousin Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), and her naive friend Becca (Ellie Kemper). As the cost surrounding the wedding events continue to rise, Annie struggles to fulfill her Maid of Honor duties for fear of not only disappointing Lillian, but of being usurped by Helen who is itching to replace Annie as Lillian’s number one friend.

Bridesmaids is a film that delivers the laughs without sacrificing the story. Sure it may not be the laugh-a-minute film that the hype may have led some to believe but, when the jokes hit the mark, there is plenty to smile about. While Melissa McCarthy has been getting all the praise, and rightfully so, for her scene stealing work as Megan, I thought that John Hamm and Kristen Wiig were extremely good as well. As Ted, Hamm has some hilariously sleazy lines that had me howling with laughter. Kristen Wiig shows that she is capable of carrying a film. Not only does she hit all the right comedic notes but she manages to keep her character grounded in reality despite all the craziness that occurs in the film. It is not only a reflection of Wiig’s talent as an actress but her skilful writing as well.

Wiig’s script is not only well written and manages to capture the complexities of female friendship. Especially in regards to how situational female bonds can be. Annie and Lillian are friends who have built a bond since they were children yet, in many ways, Annie is replaced by Helen long before the insanity ensues. Lillian and Helen are only friends because their husbands roam in the same circles. She is drawn to Helen, the very type of person she used to despise. Annie is essentially pushed aside for a woman Lillian has only known for a few months.

My only real complaint with the film is that Megan, while funny, is given the worst outfits. I understand that Megan is rough around the edges but her character looks awful even by tomboy standards. You would think Hollywood would have evolved from the “she is fat, so she is sloppy” style of humour. It would have been better had McCarthy been given a reasonable fashion sense like the rest of the characters. Especially considering what her character reveals about herself in the last act. Also, another minor gripe is that, the arc between Rita and Becca is completely dropped once the airplane scene ends. In fact they are barely seen at all in the second half of the film.

Minor issues aside, I had a good time watching Bridesmaids. It did not have me crying with laughter like I had expected, but it was a very good film nonetheless. It is one of the few recent comedies that I foresee holding up well upon repeat viewings.

The Expendables Always Fired First

The Expendables

There was a time back in the 1980s when action movies where mainly about the action. There was very little social commentary; there were no “scrawny” everyman thrusted into a tough situation, etc. The action starts of the 80’s were buff men, and women, who would shoot first and ask questions later. Sure many of the films where packed with mindless violence, but they still provided a level of escapist fare that audience craved. It was a time when things were clear cut, the good guys were good and the bad guy ended up dead. It is this testosterone filled era that Sylvester Stallone wants to recapture in his film The Expendables.

Directed by Stallone, The Expendables (Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, and Terry Crews) are a group of elite mercenaries who are hired to assassinate a corrupt military General, Gaza (David Zayas). While doing recon for the mission Barney Ross (Stallone) and Lee Christmas (Statham) happen upon the general’s daughter, Sandra (Giselle Itié), who is involved in the rebel movement to overthrow her father. At first, Barney and Lee do not want to get involved with the political issues of the South American country. Yet when the American, James Munroe (Eric Roberts), funding General Gaza’s coup abducts Sandra, Barney and the rest of The Expendables attempt a rescue mission that they might just cost them their lives. 

Featuring an abundance of new and former action starts, The Expendables is a film that delivers on the testosterone. The picture features enough explosions and fight scenes to entertain even the most casual of action fans. This is thanks in part to two well choreographed fight sequences. The first is the David versus Goliath battle between Li and Lundgren. While the other is the all out brawl between Stallone and Steve Austin’s aptly named character Paine. Still, even with these action-packed moments it is tough not to leave the film a bit disappointed.

The primary reason for this is that the overall balance of power is uneven. All of the “big name” action stars are all on one team. The only villains capable of matching them, from a physical standpoint, are Steve Austin and, to a lesser extent, Gary Daniels. Eric Roberts and David Zayas are merely there to bring a little credibility to the film’s acting credentials. While it is widely known that Jean Claude Van Damme turned down a role in the film, there are still a slew of other action starts that could have filled out the villain side nicely. Guys like Billy Blanks, Sammo Hung, and Steven Segal, etc. Frankly they could have made Mickey Rouke a villain as his character really does not do much in the film.

The increased muscle on the villain side would have saved the film, and audiences, from having to endure the Austin/Couture fight scene. Randy Couture has no scene presence in his battle with Steve Austin. It is not only dull, but it also takes the shine off of the fun Stallone/Austin encounter that happens ten minutes earlier. It is not even like this type of film can be redeemed by its acting. The performances are subpar, but what else would you expect from this type of film? The only character that really stood out was Dolph Lundgren’s Gunner Jensen. Lundgren brings the right mix of testosterone and over-the-top acting to keep the first half of the film moving. Although The Expendables barely achieves its goal of being a mindless action flick, I am hoping Stallone makes a sequel to this film. The Expendables really need fight villains their own size in order for the film to truly be the action extravaganza Stallone wants it to be.