Another Sexist Cliché

Rating: 5/10 (4 June 2012)

I found this movie exceptionally predictable and an exercise in modern sexism. I thought it was supposed to be another triumph of a new kind of comedy; one that's self aware and about dynamic people who have dynamic emotions (A good example would be in Knocked up when Seth Rogan yells at "hormones" or when he apologizes mid-insult in Pineapple Express for said insult). Too many comedies have characters throwing insults and jabs at each other without feeling or consequence. A lot of the movies this film has been compared to have actual character development and consequences for their actions.
Instead: Pathetic woman who measures herself against everyone else and turns all of her relationships into adversarial exercises in jealousy. She's most concerned with how other people see her and feel about her. Best friend getting married? She's not the center of attention. Another bridesmaid is richer/prettier/wealthier/more cultured? She's not the center of attention. Handsome guy she's screwing calls her "fuck buddy?" She's not the center of attention.
The fact that she's a skilled baker and artisan kind of takes a back seat here. Why didn't she bake her best friend's wedding cake? I would've liked to have seen her grow more thoroughly and have more of an existential crisis rather than a crisis of vanity.
A plus is Melissa McCarthy's performance. That was a truly original and fascinating female character. I would've liked to have seen more of her. I would've liked to have seen more of an ensemble-driven plot. Kristen Wig and Maya Rudolph have amazing chemistry.
But we don't get much of the good because culturally we associate women most immediately with vanity and that's what audiences -- or what studios and screenwriters Wiig and Mumolo think audiences -- want. This film is about a crisis of vanity. As most films about women are.