'Bridesmaids'

'Bridesmaids' (R) (3 1/2 stars)

Writers: Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumalo
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Molly McCarthy,
Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd, Wendi McLendon-Covey, John Hamm, Jill Clayburgh

The vulgar gross out comedy has been turned on it's ear with a little female empowerment! The boys usually get to play but now it's the women's turn in the brilliant, hilarious and touching "Bridesmaids". The movie has a great cast but the brilliant centerpiece of the movie is the amazing Kristen Wiig. She gives an awards worthy performance but also has co-written one of the smartest and funniest comedies in a decade.

"Bridesmaids" has to also be one of the best movies I have ever seen about friendship. The movie centers on the lonely and used Annie Walker who has a wonderful best friend in Lillian played by the underrated Maya Rudolph. Annie is also not lucky in business or in love. Her bakery has gone bankrupt and she is having a friends with benefits relationship with a louse wonderfully played by Jon Hamm. Her friend Lillian is getting married and now Annie is getting depressed.

Then Annie gets to meet the bridesmaids at a party and things get worse when she finds a rival for her friendship with Lillian. That rival is another bridesmaid, Helen Harris, and she is beautiful and so unbelievably sweet enough that you could get a toothache from being around her. In the first of a series of brilliant and side splitting scenes Annie tries to out do Helen in the congratulatory speech department. The other bridesmaids are brilliantly played by Ellie Kemper, Wendi McLendon Covey and Molly McCarthy.

Annie does find a romantic interest in a sweet and humble cop played very nicely by Chris O'Dowd. "Bridesmaids" is full of so many wonderful set pieces and hilarious scenes. What shocked me is how serious the movie can get and in a great way. This screenplay is so perceptive in it's look at friendship, love and committment. This is one of the best screenplays of the year and it is extremely funny and very touching.

Kristen Wiig has always been amazing on "Saturday Night Live" and is easily one of the funniest and most talented of this year's cast and of all the SNL casts in history. I was waiting for a big screen comedy to showcase how brilliant she is. When you are given lemonades like Wiig was given in so many movies like "Paul" go make lemonade by writing your own comedy. Wiig should be talked about heavily towards Oscar season but won't because Hollywood doesn't respect comedy performances. Her screenplay should definitely be nominated for it is the best comedy since "Superbad".

There are many hilarious scenes including one of the best gross out scenes since "Stand By Me" and "There's Something About Mary". All the women eat at a brazillian steak house and when they get dress fittings at a very expensive dress shop it is something special and extremely funny. My favorite scene had me crying buckets of tears something I have only done about five times in my movie going career. It is set on an airplane as Annie is given a pill to help her relax and then she is given a stiff drink. Her exchange with a flight attendant is priceless and right there if you don't believe Wiig is the Meryl Streep of comedy you definitely will after that scene and this movie.

There are more than a dozen side splitting scenes and the whole cast is pitch perfect. The movie is also stolen a lot by Molly McCarthy who plays the slob character Megan. She is not the typical large woman sterotype of comic character thanks to McCarthy and the screenplay. McCarthy also brings warmth and kindness to Megan making her a special character from the heart. But not only are McCarthy and Wiig brilliant, look at Rose Byrne's performance as the snooty Helen. It is a flawless performance and again like McCarthy she brings depth to the character as Helen becomes something more than first presented.

Add Ellie Kemper, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Chris O'Dowd to this great cast and you have something special. I am not joking when I think Wiig should get awards love. Not only is she amazingly funny but when the movie gets serious she also gives one of the best dramatic performances of 2011. The movie has a lot of heart like the Farrelly Brothers earlier work and John Hughes movies. It is a side splitting, laugh till you cry comedy with deep and well written characters brilliantly played by a wonderful cast. Kristen Wiig is a national comedy treasure like Carol Burnett or Lucille Ball. I loved "The Hangover" but "Bridesmaids" I loved ten times more. I want to see this movie again, one of the funniest movies of the past ten years and the best commercial movie of 2011 so far.

P.S. Jill Clayburgh gives her final performance here as Annie's mom and I am glad I got to see her a final time. We will miss you!