Bridesmaids: A Review by Imogene

Bridesmaids

Directed: Paul Feig

Starring: Kirsten Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Rose Byrne, Terry Crews, Matt Lucas, Rebel Wilson, Ellie Kemper, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jill Clayburgh, Melissa McCarthy

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Stars: 4.8/5

I have to say that I have been looking forward to seeing this film as soon as I saw the teaser trailer! I can’t explain why I never went to the cinema and saw it, but I never quite got there.

I firstly notice that the film cast are not all very well known actors/actresses (apart from Matt Lucas and Rebel Wilson) and despite that, the film didn’t disappoint at all!

The film is about a single lady in her 30’s named Annie (Kirsten Wiig) who is feeling sorry for herself as she’s lost her own bakery business, using all of her life savings to start it up, having no boyfriend (apart from Ted whom she has no-strings-attached sex with, and is always hoping for something more with!) and is sharing a flat with two people who don’t respect her personal space (Matt Lucas and Rebel Wilson). The only thing she sees worthwhile is her friendship with her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph).

Annie and Lillian have a very close friendship where they share everything and meet up constantly. Lillian one day tells Annie that she is engaged to her wealthy boyfriend, and naturally Annie was to be her Maid of Honour.

(Showing Annie her Engagement Ring)

I like this start of the film as we all have friends where we can relate to this friendship. It has a very sex and the city feel to it at this stage as it’s very girly with lots of giggling, but it does lay the scene of friendship very well here.. and we all know it’ll go wrong, but how?

At the engagement party Annie meets all the other bridesmaids, Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Becca (Ellie Kemper), Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and Helen Harris III (Rose Byrne). Annie takes an instant dislike to Helen at the engagement party and they both become jealous of each others relationship with Lillian and there starts the competition for her affections.

There is such a funny scene where both Annie and Helen have a stand off for displaying their thoughts and feelings towards Lillian. They take it in turns and whilst it’s pretty hilarious for us viewers it does become increasingly awkward for the engagement party guests. Also another scene is where Annie is driving home from the engagement party as is impersonating Helen. I simply couldn’t stop laughing – simply as it’s something all us girls think and probably do!

(Annie's and Helen's standoff)

Knowing that both Annie and Helen have taken a dislike, Lillian try and encourage them to spend time together, but it doesn’t go too well as they both go into competition once again and purposefully try and hit one another with their tennis balls.

A while later Annie takes the Bridesmaids out for a meal to a Brazilian Restaurant for something to eat and to have time to bond together before the wedding. Whilst Lillian has gone to the toilet, Annie suggests a Paris theme for the bridal shower expressing how much Lillian wants to go there. All the other Bridesmaids are enthusiastic over the idea, but Helen shoots it down by suggesting, obviously a much better idea. After the meal Annie tries taking the girls to a top Boutique to choose the bridesmaids outfits, only to realise that she hasn’t made a appointment, but Helen cuts across and uses her powerful name to grant them access. Annie does not take this well. Whilst they are trying dresses on, one by one all the Bridesmaids start feeling sick and get a dodgy stomach (get food poisoning), which results in a very dramatic scene where they panic and are sick over one another in the restroom. Whilst this is happening Helen orders the dresses she likes best.

At this point through the film you start to see Lillian and Annie start slowly parting away which is sad as they’re childhood best friends. It’s sad to think that a close relationship can so easily become loose, and this is where we all start feeling for Annie as we see Helen stepping into her shoes by pushing Annie out of the picture. She starts acting like the Maid of Honour and Annie is very upset by this. However the restroom scenes were very funny and exaggerated! It got plenty of groans and ‘ugh’ but it was very amusing.. It was just disappointing that Helen didn’t fall ill though!

Worried about her finances, Annie suggests having the Bachelors’ Party at Lillian’s parent’s beach house (simply to save money). Helen once again, suggests this is a stupid idea and books them all off to Las Vegas instead. Annie refused to be bought so turned down Helens advances to buy her a First Class ticket, so stuck in coach feeling ill and scared of flying alone. Helen gives her sedatives and alcohol in the hope of calming her fears, but does the exact opposite. They make Annie paranoid, worried and completely erratic. She has many outbursts whilst on the plane which made the staff stop off in Wyoming, which results on the Bachelorettes’ party being cancelled.  Lillian suggests on the way back for Helen to take over the title of Maid of Honour as she’s worried for Annie’s wellbeing and says that she doesn’t seem up to the job.

 (Annies outbursts on the plane)

We see Annie start falling apart in these scenes, purely by Helens sabotage. Annie doesn’t feel good enough anymore and sees that she’s loosing the one person she needs. It’s very emotional as we all have some kind of experience of a close relationship that starts falling apart and no matter what we do we can’t save it. I personally felt a lot for Annie in this section of the film, as she’s trying her best but Helen seems to be so perfect that whatever she does will fall into the shadow.

Unlucky in love Annie continuingly hopes for a proper relationship with Ted, however telling him she’s happy to keep it casual. She begins flirting with Nathan Rhodes who is a nice, friendly traffic cop. He lets her off a ticket for having her taillights broken and she promises that she’ll get them fixed ASAP.  Nathan is a breath of fresh air as he actively encourages everything about Annie, including her tattered dream of a bakery. He tries to get her to reopen and try again, but she refuses as it hurt her too much the first time after it closed and doesn't want to even attempt going through that pain again. Annie opens up to Nathan and there seems to be a lot of chemistry going.

They both spend the night together and the next morning, he buys coffee and ingredients for her to bake and to also cook breakfast with. Annie is immediately offended of his suggestion and snaps at him saying that the night before was a mistake and leaves slamming his front door.

(Annie and Nathan getting to know one another)

This was such a sad part as they both get on so well and you see her enjoying herself for the first time since Lillian announces she’s engaged. But as it a Romantic Comedy we’ve come back to that all expecting, break up before the make up. Sometimes this clause does get quite tiresome, but in this film it was exciting because as soon as you saw them together for that first time you started rooting for a happily ever after!

After getting back to her apartment she meets both Gil and Brynn up to their usual tricks of making her feel uncomfortable. They call a flat meeting where they all suggests ways in which they can get on better, only for them not to take her seriously, resulting that they tell her they want her to move out. At her lowest, Annie has no support around her and makes the choice to move back in with her Mother.

Annie arrives at Lillians bridal shower, feeling angry that she sees her ideas all around her in the garden and house (the Paris theme). Having no money Annie results in making a handmade memory box for Lillian, which she loves and is happy it was received well. Helen makes an elaborate lie by saying she had no time to get Lillian a present and could only get her a card. Lillian opens the envelope and sees two tickets to Paris for the pair of them to go together and choose her very expensive wedding dress which is made by one of the top designers. Enraged by Helens present Annie once and for all says exactly what she feels out in front of the bridal shower guests. Lillian doesn’t take Annie’s outburst very well and exclaims that she has ruined the shower and tells her to leave and not bother coming to the wedding either. Annie leaves feeling heartbroken.

This film had some really entertaining bits and some shock factors. Annies outburst at the shower was a massive shock factor as whilst I, myself was thinking exactly what she was saying, how many of us would actually say and do that? Most of us would stew ourselves up and vent in another way, but I’m glad Annie did get to say what she wanted, as it did bring light onto how Helen is behaving. It was just sad that Lillian hadn’t realised what was going on, but of course, they never do.

On her way home Annie’s car breakdown and whilst it’s her final straw she finds Officer Rhodes coming to her rescue (or not). Still feeling hurt by the way Annie treated him, he acts very cold and tells her he doesn’t want her to contact him again, and to fix the taillight that she promised to do. Having no-one to call she rings up Ted and asks for him to ride her home. He suggests she does oral sex on him whilst he drives her home; she is disgusted and breaks off their ‘relationship’.

Feeling lonely Annie keeps inside and slobs about being depressed. Megan comes and tell her to sort her life out and stop feeling sorry for herself, it’s only her who can change the things that are wrong in her life – Annie takes notice of Megan and there begins an unsuspecting friendship between them. She bakes Nathan a cake and delivers to his door, over the few days she drives past his house only to see it left on the doorstep and racoons eating it.

The day of Lillians wedding arrives and Annie tells her mother that she isn’t attending as Lillian doesn’t want her there. Helen arrives at the doorstep in a panic saying that she’s lost Lillian and needs her help in finding her. Helen gets tearful and starts apologising for everything she’s done towards Annie and Lillians friendship and begs her to help her make everything right again. Annie decides to help and tries to catch the attention of Nathan in his car as she needs him to trace a phone number for her. As he is still feeling hurt over her past behaviour he reluctantly helps her and find that the phone is traced back to her house.

(As Annie is helping Helen find Lillian)

I loved the scene where Annie and Helen were repeatedly driving past trying to get Nathans attention! It was very funny and showed how much she needed him despite his reluctance. However annoyed he was with her he was always willing to help her when it came down to it.

Annie asks Helen to allow her to go speak to Lillian alone. She finds her hiding in her bed and Lillian tells Annie that she’s worried about her being alone and that Helen has organised everything and how she felt trapped without her friend. After making up and putting Annie back as Maid of Honour, Annie helps Lillian get ready for the wedding.

Annie gets to witness first hand the overdoing of Helens plans as there are fireworks, neon signs and Lillians favourite girl band Wilson Phillips. After the wedding Helen once again apologises for her behaviour throughout the engagement and says she hopes they can be friends in the future. She arranged for Nathan to come pick Annie up in his cop car. They share a kiss and he takes her home saying that he’s still going to charge her for her illegal doings.

It was a great film, I really enjoyed it.  It was lovely to see that Annie and Lillian were able to resolve their problems and overcome it by a mile. I had hoped that the film wouldn’t be ruined by the hype surrounding this film on release but now I do understand when people say it was the funniest film released that year. It was nice to see that even though it wasn’t the worlds most recognised cast that it didn’t ruin the humour or how we related, in fact I think it helped the film stand tall, as sometimes this type of film with the usual well known actors/actresses it can become very samey, but it didn’t, and I was very impressed! I hope to see more of this cast in big roles again soon.

I gave this film a 4.8/5 stars due to format, but storyline was very funny and I recommend to anyone wanting to have a girly night in as it’s a film you can join in with and simply laugh your socks off!