Main Page
Alphabetical Menu
Chronological Menu
|
The Big Bang   Bridesmaids  Annie (Kristen Wiig), a single, unemployed young woman, agrees to become the maid of honor of her soon-to-be-married best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Four other bridesmaid join her, namely, Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Becca (Ellie Kemper), Helen (Rose Byrne) and Megan (Melissa McCarthy). Tensions arise between Annie and Helen as they compete with each other to be favored by Lillian more. Helen comes from an upper class lifestyle and seems well-behaved unlike Annie who’s lower class and prone to landing herself in embarrassing or just plain disastrous situations. The bridesmaids, together with Lillian, go about the traditional pre-wedding customs which include picking out dresses in an expensive boutique, but what transpires to them throughout is far from expected. In a subplot, she befriends a cop, Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd), who wants to become romantically involved with her. Co-screenwriters Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo inject plenty of lowbrow humor that range from sight gags to dirty language that, sadly, results in more shock value and disgust instead of laughter. A truly funny sex comedy, like There’s Something About Mary, doesn’t rely heavily on toilet humor or stretch a barely funny sight gag for too long. One such scene that could have been edited down or cut entirely is when Annie, Lillian and the bridesmaids, except for Helen, suffer from food poisoning after eating at a Brazilian restaurant, and end up defecating and vomiting in an expensive boutique for what feels like hours. Yes, you’ll even get to see the actual poop and vomit for yourself in case you forgot to laugh. Each of the actresses gets a chance to shine here, and make the most out of the infantile humor, but their characters are written as more annoying and over-the-top rather than believable and likable. It should be no surprise then that when Bridesmaids veers toward its dramatic and romantic moments in an attempt to balance its crassness with sweetness, it falls flat and feels sophomoric at best. Superbad suffered from similar ailments, so if you were somehow able to laugh at that equally disgusting and lazy comedy, you might find yourself in stitches while watching this one. At an excessive running time of 2 hours and 5 minute, Bridesmaids is cringe-inducing, uneven, juvenile, overlong and painfully unfunny. It’s a witless blend of crudeness, rudeness and lewdness which sets a new low for American comedy.  Everything Must Go   The First Grader   Hesher   Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird  There are basically two kinds of documentaries: the kind that offer tons of revealing insights through investigations, and the kind that mostly bathe in the brilliance and importance of its subject matter while providing a few provocative insights along the way. Director Mary Murphy chooses the latter form of documentary as she interviews experts and celebrities who have always cherished Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The information provided may not be ground breaking or tread new waters, but at least it’s easily palatable for younger audiences without boring or confusing them. What makes the novel such a classic that has stood the test of time? What makes it as important today as it was back in the 1960’s? Those are just a few of the questions that Murphy poses to the interviewees, and, if you’re a fan of the novel, the answer will definitely cause you to nod your head in agreement. The novel had brought the issue of racism to the public’s attention even before the Civil Right Movement had officially begun. As one interviewee wisely states, racism still exists today (if you want proof of that, please see Neshoba: The Price of Freedom). Unfortunately, an interview with Harper Lee wouldn’t be possible because she has refused interviews for the past 45 years, so Murphy makes the most out of the archival footage and photos Lee, as well as modern-day interviews with her 99-year-old sister, Alice. The analysis of clips from the 1962 film version of To Kill a Mockingbird as well as an interview with actress Mary Badham who played Scout, provide a little more insight although there’s nothing shocking to be heard. It’s interesting to hear about the friendship between Lee and Truman Capote, her friend/next-door neighbor, and how it evolved once Lee won the Pulitzer Prize. At running time of only 1 hour and 22 minutes, Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird is well-edited and captivating with easily digestible information albeit sans surprising revelations.  L'Amour Fou  Those who are previously unfamiliar with Yves Saint Laurent or Pierre Bergé won't become new fans of theirs or feel like reading about them because this film makes them seem mostly uninteresting even though they're far from it in reality.  A Serbian Film   The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls   Main Page Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu ______________________________________________________ |
The NYC Movie Guru
themovieguru101@yahoo.com
Privacy Policy