Bridesmaid takes a twist on the typical wedding-focused film!

Rating: 9/10 (19 February 2013)

"Bridesmaids" does an excellent job recreating the typical wedding- focused romantic comedy by switching the focus from the bride-to-be to her bridesmaids. Instead of having to worry about the bride being left at the altar, the audience's concern is placed on the power battle between maid-of-honor (Kristin Wigg) and bridesmaid (Rose Byrne) in their attempts to woo the bride (Maya Rudolph). The events leading up to the big day highlight the ridiculousness and humor in their actions.
Lillian, the bride, chooses life-long best friend, Annie, to be her maid-of-honor alongside her husband's boss's conniving wife, Helen. Helen's mission is to compete for Lillian's friendship and upstage Annie's efforts whenever she can get the chance. However this wedding couldn't be taking place at a worse time in Annie's life. Annie resorts to being unhappily employed at a jewelry store after her baking business fails. The wedding can't help but remind her that she's single and struggling to find a significant intimate relationship. Ted (John Hamm) further lowers Annie's self-esteem by keeping her around as his personal booty-call. Annie can't help feeling threatened by the constant input from perfect, glamorous Helen. The rivalry between the two provides endless entertainment for the bridal party.
Writers, Kristin Wigg and Annie Mumolo, crafted the script to include two different kinds of humor. The first contains the simpler, stupid jokes that are expected of a romantic comedy. This is evident when Annie's roommate pours frozen peas over herself instead of using them as an ice pack. The classic usage of food stuck in one's teeth and awkwardness in the bedroom are also presented. On top of this, the uniqueness of this film is accentuated, with Wigg and Mumolo's use of crazy funny. Annie completely loses her professionalism at work when she yells at a young girl for wanting to buy a friendship bracelet. This convention of insanity is seen again during the bridal shower when Annie overreacts and trashes the party. The combination of these two elements makes the film's humor unforgettable.
The key performer and bridesmaid in this film is Saturday Night Alumni actress, Kristin Wigg. Director, Paul Feig, makes use of the character, Annie, by taking her on the biggest emotional journey of them all; it completely outshines the experience of the bride. The viewer wants to sympathize with Annie's character because her low self-worth disadvantages her from the start. Annie learns how to "fight for her shitty life" and become aware of the things that are important to her. Although she was not thrilled about planning a wedding she steps up to the plate when fellow bridesmaid, Helen, tries to take over the show.
Overall the film provides a hilarity that is not normally produced by romantic comedies. Although there are a few tangents to the main plot, it keeps the audience's interest from the very beginning with its lively script. The film goes beyond the surface by displaying the bridesmaid's motivations to succeed in the wedding for Lillian. Even "evil" Helen becomes a person the viewer wants to get to know more about.