Hold On

Rating: 7/10 (29 May 2011)

Greetings again from the darkness. Kristen Wiig is everywhere these days. If you don't know the name, you certainly know her face. She is credited with 26 projects since 2009 - and that doesn't even count her weekly work on Saturday Night Live. She is the new Tina Faye ... even though the old Tina Faye is still going very strong.
While I have little doubt that the success of The Hangover was a driving force behind the creation of this film, Ms. Wiig's writing and acting talent elevate this mixture of chick-flick and comedy into one of the finest female film comedies in quite awhile. That's probably not strong enough praise since that category is a bit sparse, but as a guy who gets really tired of the formulaic chick-flick rom-coms and sappy dramas, I found the film to be quite refreshing.
Sure, there are many similarities between this and The Hangover, but the key difference is that the element of female friendship is never far away from the often raunchy comedy we are witnessing. Women so value their BFF's and Ms. Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo (seen as a nervous plane passenger) never lose sight of this.
Also key to any group of female activity is the competitive nature and envious mutterings. They try so hard to appear happy for their friends, when often they are blinded by the current funk in which they find their own life. And look out when a beautiful, rich "new" friend enters the picture. The real fireworks begin ... even in the battle for the last word on the mic at the engagement party! I am not going to give away any of the punchlines or set-ups, but I will highlight the cast. Maya Rudolph is Lillian, the bride to be and lifelong friend of Annie (Wiig); Ellie Kemper (The Office) is Becca, the goody-two shoes newlywed; Wendi McLendon-Covey (Reno 911) is Rita, the bitter, frustrated long-time mother and wife looking for inspiration; Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly, Gilmore Girls) is Megan, the slapstick, gross-out comedy relief; Rose Byrne is Helen, the aforementioned seemingly perfect "new" friend; Chris O'Dowd (Blind Swordsman in Dinner for Schmucks) is Officer Rhodes, the nice guy who has a crush on Annie; Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as Annie's Porsche driving bootie call; and Jill Clayburgh (her final film role) as Annie's mom.
Here is hoping Ms. Wiig continues to push the boundaries of creative comedy for women. I for one look forward to seeing women on screen as more than just love interests and femme fatales.