LAUGH OUT LOUD

FOR years, gross-out comedies have been a ‘boys only club’ thanks to delirious delights such as American Pie and The Hangover … but it looks like all that is about to change.

Whoever said that women were all delicate little flowers, incapable of enjoying a good flatulence joke is about to face a very rude and crude awakening.

It’s great to see women taking the bull by the horns and proving that there is much more to the fairer sex than weepy dramas and predictable Sandra Bullock films.

Bridesmaids is essentially a story about coming full-circle, settling down, getting married and beginning a life that puts paid to the debauchery of the past. But no one ever said that you can’t have one last ride on the crazy train before you do it!

Annie is a thirty-something woman who feels like her life has all gone wrong. She has lost all her money on a failed business venture, rents an apartment from a sleezy pervert and her boyfriend is almost as bad as her landlord.

Things are looking bleak for Annie, until her best friend announces her engagement to her charming boyfriend. You would assume that being asked to be the maid of honour is just the ticket to perk Annie up, right? Wrong!

It only cements the feeling of alienation that permeates her seemingly futile existence and also unleashes a little bit of jealousy too.

Nonetheless, she accepts the offer with a big, fake smile plastered on her face and is shocked when the offer is suddenly retracted and the role is passed on to the bride’s new best friend.

What ensues is a battle of cattiness that I am hoping all women don’t really resort to. There are moments of genuine hilarity that frankly left me laughing until it hurt!

The thing that I found really refreshing about this movie is that there is no male character to impress, no shoe sale to fight over, this is an exploration and revelation of female relationships at their best … and worst.

My favourite part of the film comes during the bridal shower where Annie has the type of meltdown that I’ve not seen since Hiroshima. The scene is the cringe-worthy, watch through your fingers type of funny that will leave everyone in stitches.

The casting of this film is brilliant, Wiig is such an underrated comedic performer and I predict big things for her in the near-future. A special mention must also go to Rose Byrne for her role as Helen, the new best friend that you just love to hate.

With a title like Bridesmaids, it’s easy to assume this is a bog-standard chick-flick but, trust me, it offers so much more than you’d expect. The cast don’t have that Sex in the City inspired, Spice Girl-loving female empowerment thing going on, it’s honest, outrageous comedy, that just so happens to be female-centric.
 
The comedic timing is flawless and the characters are given just enough back-story to make them easy to empathise with … even if you happen to be a 26-year-old male.

Showing in Cineco, Seef II and Saar Cineplex