"Bridesmaids"

    Finally, a break from the bromance: I thought I was going to go crazy if I saw another five million takes of ad-libbing from Paul Rudd.  Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids may follow the same “wacky two thirds followed by a hard turn to sap third act” of a Judd Apatow film, but it’s fresh because we get to see someone else having the fun for once. 
    Bridesmaids is a nice change of pace for the Apatow gang.  Kristen Wiig (who co-wrote the film with Annie Mumolo) plays Annie, a down on her luck baker whose best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) is getting married.  But Wiig’s made of honor position is jeopardized by Helen (Rose Byrne) whose high class parties and lavish life make Annie look like a lesser choice for the position.  Helen begins to take charge in the wedding plans, always trying to stay one step ahead of Annie.  What follows is a dress fitting gone wrong as well as a drug/alcohol fueled plane ride to Las Vegas where Wiig shines as a bright comedy star. 
    Along for the ride is the rest of the bridal party, including the newlywed (Ellie Kemper), the tired wife (Wendi McLendon-Covey), and the groom’s party animal sister (Melissa McCarthy, who gets the most laughs in the film).  Director Paul Feig, well known as the creator of "Freaks & Geeks," knows how to handle comedy while retaining strong emotional reactions as well.  He can also direct a large cast of misfits as seen in his work on some of the best episodes of "The Office" and "Arrested Development." 
    Here though, Feig loses focus on half the bridal party during the second act until McCarthy’s Megan comes in to get Annie’s life back together after a meltdown.  Half of the time we see Kemper and McLendon-Covey’s characters they talk about their relationships with their husband which don’t see much of.  Instead, Bridesmaids focuses on Wiig’s disheveled life and her inability to grow up.  She sleeps with a jerk (Jon Hamm) and can’t open herself up to a sweet cop (Chris O’Dowd).  Unfortunately, the film follows the Apatow rule that a comedy can be fun only until the third act, where it quickly has to get a message across and feels out of place with the rest of the film.  
    The best thing about Bridesmaids though is that Kristen Wiig finally gets her moment in the sun.  Having been one of the funniest cast members for the last few years on SNL, she has also had the best parts in Adventureland and Whip It.  The scene on the airplane shows Wiig at the top of her game with some of the best physical comedy in years.  It’s nice to finally see her in the spotlight.  Also, it is much more enjoyable to watch something where the creators actually had fun working together.  So many romantic comedies these days feel like an easy paycheck: Bridesmaids was actually thought out and handled with care.