A real flick of the summer

Rating: 10/10 (8 June 2011)

The Hollywood summer has dawned upon us and the first set of movies has been predictably thrust upon us with loads of sequels along with the much anticipated sequel of Hangover 2. Hangover 2 will be a subject of discussion in next week's review. But currently among the crop of movies released is an apparent chick flick called 'Bridesmaid', which by the title itself should be a turn off for men.
But contrary to the repeated studio chick flick cliché, this one deserves to be called the sequel to 2008 blockbuster The Hangover, rather than the rehashed turkey that is to be presented to the paying audience next week.
The wedding scenario that is done to death gets a fresh look and this one does not hide behind the curtains of sugar coated humor. Co-written by SNL veteran Kristen Wiig and produced by guy flicks veteran Judd Apatow, Bridemaid produces some shock inducing laughter's in sequences that generally would require the viewing men to grow a vagina to go through the entire wedding season. Kristen stops at nothing from a hilarious food poisoning emergency during the wedding dress shopping to virtual breakdown of one the bridesmaid during the pre-wedding all ladies social gathering, the movie just turns the entire wedding episode upside down.
The ever miserable love life of Annie (Kristen Wiig) becomes to a virtual breakdown of her life during the wedding of her 'since childhood' best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Her unprofessional work ethic at jewelry store left aside; Annie is pretty much miserable in everything. Jon Hamm is the latest of her boyfriends that she has been dealing with; who uses her as 'f**k-buddies' in his own words. She is sharing an apartment with British siblings who are outrageous in their own rights. Finally, for her the bottom point in her life would if she moves in with her mother, no prizes for guessing that whether it happens after all.
Things really start to unravel when the wedding festivities begins with Lillian aligning Annie with a blockbuster team of Bridesmaids for her wedding. Special mention for Melissa McCarthy who steals the show during the movie characters every comic turn. Ellie Kemper and Wendi McLendon- Covey provide enough support to deserve their place in the movie. But it is rivalry between ultra-suave & rich Helen (Rose Byrne) and Annie to be the Maid of Honor that provides the background for crazy wedding rides. The sequences of their rivalry are some of the best cat fight you would witness without reaching to an actual physical fight. The movie manages to pull off a genuine romantic angle to Annie's story with a budding romance with a highway patrol police officer who more than obliges to pull over Annie for her various driving offences.
Bridesmaids provokes enough laughter from its audience to make them forget about the Hangover they are or would receive while watching Hangover part II; which is if not funny and original then is at least a cautionary tale for the makers of Bridesmaids to tread the waters of franchising the movie only after a few after thoughts about not slaying the chicken that lay golden eggs. A final mention to Kristen Wiig and her brand of comedy; it deserves to be mentioned among the likes Tina Fey and Julie- Louis Dreyfus.