You could assume that “Bridesmaids” would not be a film that would peak the interest of a twenty-one-year-old college student. However, I was pleasantly surprised while watching this film. The film is produced by Judd Apatow, who previously worked on some very interesting films such as “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Superbad,” and “Pineapple Express.” I should have expected this film would be a success based on Apatow’s credentials; but prior to watching, I had difficulty accepting the premise of the film. The performances by Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudloph, and Chris O’Dowd were excellent. “Bridesmaids” was a pleasant surprise, and I am happy that I took the time to watch the film.
The cinematography in the film is not notable, shot by Robert Yeoman, known primarily for his work with Wes Anderson. But “Bridesmaids” is not a film to watch for beautiful cinematography, nor should one expect it to be. Do not go to this film expecting it to look like “Dunkirk” or “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” This is not that type of movie. Before viewing this film, I never thought I was going to be wowed by style; it’s a comedy, not a beautiful drama or an epic. But while the camerawork may be lacking, the film succeeds in other aspects.
During the 125-minute movie, “Bridesmaids” is set in many different locations in the city of Milwaukee. These include the apartment of main character Annie Walker (played by Wiig), the engagement party of Lillian Donovan (played by Rudolph), a plane heading to a bachelorette party in Las Vegas, a Brazilian steak house, a bridal shop, and Annie’s childhood home. The film uses additional settings and the movie flows smoothly from location to location. It doesn’t dwell on any one locale, which adds interest to the film.
The main critique of “Bridesmaids” is that it’s somewhat predictable. Additionally, the film under-develops the story of Annie’s future love interest. But other than the story being a bit linear, it flows well and is interesting. Each character’s performance is very good. Jon Hamm plays his role perfectly as a self-absorbed lowlife. I enjoyed the other characters except the British roommates of Annie, Brynn and GilI, played by Matt Lucas and Rebel Wilson. I found the characters boring, and the scenes they were in were uninspiring. Fortunately, they were not included in the film to any great extent (my critique come from the fact that I do not care for Rebel Wilson as a performer; but luckily, she did not have an important part in the film).
“Bridesmaids” balances the raunchy with the smart, to great effect. Photo: Universal Pictures, 2011.
Megan’s character (played by Melissa McCarthy) surprised me. She is not usually a favorite actress of mine, but I thought her character was decent…and that is a win in my book.
Given the makeup of the cast, I was expecting childish humor. There were some moments of that type of comedy, but even that was still somewhat funny. However, most of the film’s scenes are for the most part intelligent and humorous. One scene I particularly enjoyed was when the group of girls were at fancy bridal store dress shopping. In this scene, the group was looking at overpriced dresses when they began to feel ill. Prior to the shopping, the group had eaten at a Brazilian steakhouse for lunch; the assumption is that they developed some type of food poisoning.
The comedy in this scene was enjoyable and I found myself laughing out loud. Moaning with stomach cramps, two of the girls made a mad dash for the bathroom, while the bride ran from the store and ended up having a bathroom accident in her fancy, bulky bridal gown. I don’t usually find bathroom humor funny, but the conversation between the girls leading up to this scene is very entertaining. For the most part, this film is a success comedically, other than the scenes with Melissa McCarthy and Rebel Wilson.
Despite predictability, “Bridesmaids” offers fun and is a must-watch comedic film. Photo: Universal Pictures, 2011.
Unfortunately, the character development in the film is average. Annie character develops throughout the film, and the character of Helen, the wealthier friend and bridesmaid of Lillian, has an interesting arc. Other than these two, there is not much character development. However, this is not a film from which one should expect in-depth exploration of personalities. This is a comedy; do not go to this film anticipating significant character growth.
The soundtrack for the film features an excess of unoriginal songs by many artists, including Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Courtney Love, Britney Spears, and Smokey Robinson. The music choice works and does not distract the audience from the movie.
There is one editing choice that was unusual. In a scene where Annie is talking with her British roommates, the film cuts to a sweeping landscape shot of Milwaukee. This transition was odd, since it cuts right into a conversation. Other than the choice of this edit, William Kerr and Mike Sale’s editing worked well with this movie.
“Bridesmaids” is a must watch comedic film and I would highly recommend it. While I did not think I would enjoy the mo, it pleasantly surprised me. I would highly recommend it for all audiences except children.
*”Bridesmaids” is currently available to watch on most streaming platforms.
