Bridesmaids (A So-so Film)

I know this isn't an exactly timely review, but who reads this anyway? But, if you are, there be spoilers ahead.

The film I saw last week with my good friends was "Bridesmaids" and it was... all right?

The film had potential. It really did! However, I felt it squandered it trying to do the same things it did well. Let me explain:

I felt this film did a really good job of Showing as opposed to telling. In the film's opening act you really get a feel for who the characters are and how they are all, mostly, interconnected. You can feel the friendship between the main character Annie and her best friend Lillian. Also, when the rest of the cast is introduced you do get a feel for their personalities and what kind of plot you'll be seeing out of them.

However, this made for a very lengthy act 1. And I mean very lengthy. Probably 20-40 minutes of the total 125 minute run time. Normally, I wouldn't complain about a lengthy set up, but the payoff isn't there. The end is just kind of an end, no real resolution of plot lines. The only plots that are resolved are: Annie's fight with Lillian, Annie's fight Helen, and Annie's fight with Nathan. While that seems like a lot here are plots that weren't resolved, but set up: Annie's bakery, Annie's joblessness, Annie's living with her mother, Helen's comeuppance, Lillian's moving into a richer culture, the two married, to different men, bridesmaids making out, Annie's mom and the mechanic, and so on.

Seriously, this movie sets up a million different plot lines that go nowhere. TV Tropes, which as you know is a wiki so info from there is variable, says that this film is a deconstruction of the plucky girl who's life is shit turns it around kind of movie, and while I could maybe deal with that, the fact that it's a deconstruction doesn't mean a film can just not resolve plot lines willy-nilly.

Another problem with this film is that, for showing really well, some scenes drag on and on. While I understand "Crossing the Line Twice" I never felt some of the scenes crossed back over. The two scenes that really seemed to outstay their welcome were: The Engagement Party Speeches Scene and the Food Poisoning Scene. They started off funny, and established what the meant to do: Establish Helen's character for the former and be down right grossly funny for the latter. They did that at first, but began to outstay their welcome and should have been cut down, which annoys me even more because of the aforementioned lack of resolution.

The acting was brilliant, like I said about showing earlier, you could feel each character come alive and shine each time they were on screen, especially Helen, as played by Rose Byrne. Helen is the closest thing we have to an antagonist and damn I hated her, in a good way. The way you're supposed to hate a villain.

Overall, it's an alright, if sometimes oddly paced, film. I don't regret seeing it, but wait until it's in the cheap theatres if you're dying to see it.

Coming up later this month: Book Vs Film II: Howl's Moving Castle!