Bridesmaids Review

Chick flick. Star vehicle. Summer release.


These are three valid reasons why you would expect a film like "Bridesmaids" to be awful. Why shouldn't you? "The Sex and the City" films were under the same labels, only stirred with the adaptation/remake/sequel  titles as well, and look how those turned out? Not to mention it's using a star known primarily for her SNL work, and that tends to receive mixed reactions as well.


But why be so negative and narcissistic when glimmering hope arrives in the form of a movie like this one. "Bridesmaids" is far from perfect, but is aided by your low expectations that are soon trumped. 


Kristen Wiig stars as a woman chosen to be her best friend's (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor at her wedding. Unfortunately, her life is in shambles, and it only gets progressively worse as the stress of planning the perfect wedding for her BFF combines with the rivalry of a newer, prettier, more perfect best friend (Rose Byrne), threatens to replace her. 


Naturally, this all culminates in hilarity when everything goes awry for Wiig, and quite honestly, she shines. She's great at physical comedy as well as verbal; she also co-wrote the film, and it's not hard to notice. She deviates pretty dramatically from her usual SNL schtick, though, as she plays a relatively normal and relatable character. She isn't really the funny girl, though; it's the situations and the supporting cast that generate all the laughs, particularly the other bridesmaids themselves. Each of them has a great character and persona that are easy to fall in love with, and this is only helped by Wiig's connection to them. Her chemistry with Rudolph is fantastic and it's obvious that they're close friends off-screen as well as on it.


As great as all these things are, however, Bridesmaids still suffers from some clichés. Most notably, the film needlessly meddles with drama and a relatively lengthy "sad" streak of events. Sure, this might help the audience connect with Wiig a little more and give her more dimension, but in a film with mostly gross out, shock and over-the-top humor, it's just a nag to have this sequence right in the middle. It makes sense in context, but thematically, comedies like this don't need these sorts of scenes. Luckily, it never delves into depressing or tissue-clinging sappiness, but I also don't want to be laughing one second and then have to feel upset the next. If a film can achieve that without making the feeling awkward or out of place, great! But most films, including Bridesmaids, don't hit that mark. Compare this to a similar stand-out comedy like The Hangover, which hardly has any dramatic elements to it. Why? Because it doesn't need them. Its whole purpose is to make you laugh from start to finish, and it does so while maintaining fully fleshed-out characters and an engrossing plot. No need to make you sad or feel bad!


I'm also not a fan of unnecessary romantic sub-plots. Read my other reviews... go ahead, I'll give you a second.












Okay, most of them probably have some reference to my hatred of these plot devices (if they can even be called such) because they're not important and their only purpose is to give the character(s) involved some sort of dimension. There is certainly a romantic sub-plot involving Wiig and a substantially less important character here, but it actually plays a part in the theme and directly into Wiig's own plot branch, so I can forgive it. That's another element of Bridesmaids that I love; there are specific things that are referenced in Wiig's life that play a role in how everything else play out: her living conditions, her career and her love life. These are all integral elements of her life that are shown enough times to make them important without being absolutely necessary, and they don't detract from the main story at all. 


So what Bridesmaids ends up being is a much better-than-average chick flick romantic comedy that both men and women can enjoy... although women are probably much better suited to it. Although it suffers from a few clichés and sometimes resorts to low-brow humor, it's still hilarious and proves that chick flicks, star vehicles and summer movies don't have to suck. Prepare for the drunk airplane scene, the dress-fitting scene and the.. well, the scene where Wiig tries to get pulled over. Bridesmaids offers what we love about these  It'll end up being forgettable, but let's be honest... Kristen Wiig is looking at a bright future.


8/10
-Kyle Shelton

Let Me In Review: Let this One In.

A little, charming Swedish vampire flick called "Let the Right One In" was released about two years ago. You probably haven't heard of it because, you know... it's Swedish. Regardless, "Let the Right One In" was a spellbinding fantasy romance, a version of Twilight done the right way. Scary, chilling yet emotionally wrought, it received critical and mild commercial success as well as a cult following.

"Let Me In," the American remake from Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, was a highly anticipated film among most critics and anyone who has seen the original, but it fell under much speculation. Remakes, especially our fantastically product-placed  money-mongering American ones, tend to do the original film less justice.

Well, my fellow moviegoers, Let Me In matches the superiority of its predecessor to the tee. In fact, I really only liked the American version better simply for the fact that it's in English and I don't have to draw my attention to those pesky subtitles diverting my attention.

Thus, Let Me In tells the tale of a boy and a girl who fall in love in a small New Mexico town. The boy, Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee), is a troubled and constantly bullied kid who fantasizes about exacting revenge upon those who cross his path. Alas, his fantasies do not come to fruition as he would have hoped, and he is ever-wedgied and emasculated at every turn. One dark, cold, snowy night, he meets a girl his same age named Abby (Kickass star, Chloe Moretz), who immediately informs him that they cannot be friends. However, as nights pass, they increasingly become closer and closer to eachother, until finally Abby confronts Owen about his feelings for her.

Spoiler: Abby is a vampire.

Ok, that wasn't really a spoiler, you're probably aware from trailers and hype that there's a vampiric little girl engaging in vampiric-little-girl shenanigans, and considering she's really the only "little" girl you see, you should have guessed. If you didn't, shame on you.

The original story (adapted from the also Swedish book "Let the Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist) penned by Reeves is where the film shines. Think Twilight, back in time, reversed, and without metrosexual werewolves, and that's the essential plot of Let Me In. However, there's much more to it; visually, the film is equally as striking, presented in an extremely harsh, cold setting with backdrops consisting of bleak and dreary set pieces such as a boarded up apartment, a living room with a drunken sleeping mother lit only by a television and the eerie scene of a forest against a chilling nighttime sky.

What you see on-screen drains your emotion and happiness little by little, with interspersed moments of biting intensity (much like a vampire might do, aye?). The story, though, is where your emotion is brought back. Although neither Owen nor Abby may be instantly relatable characters, you grow to like and eventually love them. Owen, initially, is your typically atypical school outcast. He has no friends, no life and is going nowhere, all while his parents are working through a troubling divorce. This is made apparent immediately, which is why the relationship between him and Abby is so poignant, especially when they first start to hit it off.

Really, I've never seen the genres of romance and horror come together (in general) or so neatly. The love between Owen and Abby is beautifully intertwined with the horror behind Abby's true identity and lifestyle. In fact, you end up becoming more scared of their relationship dwindling or being immediately cut off rather than any sort of grisly scene of violence; however, those grisly scenes of violence are ever so wonderful. The film has all the scares you need: immediate (BOO!), emotional ( aw =[ ) and atmospheric (oooo). The cinematography (Greig Fraser), if nothing else, deserves an Oscar all on its own. Owen himself is actually pretty adorable, and his performance can be appreciated from any angle: because he's cute, because he's creepy, or just because he's heartbreaking. Chloe Moretz of Kickass fame as Hit-Girl reprises another violent, dark role, and she doesn't miss a beat. She's just as endearing as she is standoffish. Both characters have an uncanny sense of fragility absent in many adult-films starring children, and that's where they truly come through.

And so, Let Me In is easily in the running for Best Picture this year, and my personal favorite of 2010 thus far. Charming performances, absolutely beautiful photography, an excellent script and just that hint of originality garner "Let Me In" access to anyone's homes and hearts.

10/10
-Kyle E. Shelton

Date Night Review: Perfect for its Title.

Steve Carrell. Tina Fey.

That’s all you need to know about “Date Night,” in reality. The whole movie and its plot are just excuses to get these two comedy stars together and steal your hard-earned money in this terrible, human-destroying recession.
Alright, let’s not be dramatic. “Date Night” is the latest Hollywood machine-made romantic comedy starring 2 of TV’s biggest stars from 2 of TV’s biggest shows owned by TV’s biggest company (NBC). So what’s there to say?
Date Night, in all actuality, is much better than one might assume. Of course, seeing the names “Carrell” and “Fey” headlining a poster would catch your immediate attention and may persuade you into seeing it just for namesake; however, the movie is actually pretty well-written and witty, with some interesting innovation and well-handled action set pieces to break up the otherwise monotonous tyranny that is the “Romantic Comedy.”

The story revolves around a married couple, Phil and Claire Foster (Carrell and Fey, respectively). Both are extremely aware that their marriage has grown stale and boring, but neither wants to admit it. With some not-so-uplifting commentary from their friends who seem to have gone down the same route before, things eventually lead up to Phil wanting to take Claire out on an expensive but “different” date for once. They head to an upscale, trendy new seafood restaurant named “Claw,” where they are greeted with typical teenage hipster rudeness. Without a reservation, they patiently sit at the bar, hoping a table opens up, when A CALL TO ADVENTURE arises and Phil decides to take the reservation of someone else. Thus, this spins in motion the gears of fate, and Phil and Claire are mistakenly identified as the Tripplehorns (a recurring play on Jeanne Tripplehorn) by a couple of mobsters (Common and Jimmi Simpson) who are entangled in a big conspiracy to… well, watch the film to figure out the rest. The main plot is all standard “conspiracy” and “backstabbing” fare, most of which is fairly expectable. It really boils down to the more subtle nuances in the story, that is, the dialogue that really give this film life.

Fey and Carrell have an almost impeccable chemistry between them, and although they may not be the most believable couple, it's their wit and improvisation in various points in the film that give them such high likability. In fact, if it wasn’t for these two stars, Date Night would ultimately suck. In addition, the fact that they’re the only good thing about the movie won’t bother you until after you already saw it, where you’ll be questioning what the movie was even about. Think of “Date Night” as a television advertisement, wherein the product is the plot of the film and the gimmick is Fey and Carrell. You’re not going to remember what the hell was just advertised or why you should buy it, but you’ll remember to YouTube it later to show how funny it is to friends.

I’ve read many reviews on Date Night, and most seem to point out the awkward pacing between softer, dialogue-propelled moments and the adrenaline-rushing action sequences. Personally, I felt these blended very well, moving from one scene to the next without feeling like there was a humongous cinematic stake separating the various scenes. The best part, by far, involves a chase scene between the mobsters, Phil, a taxi and the police. Not only was this whole extravaganza of a scene exciting, but it was hilarious and actually memorable! Alas, a scene from a “Romantic Comedy” (of sorts) that was actually memorable that didn’t involve nudity!

But again, it is very difficult to truly critique a Romantic Comedy for more than its really worth. “Date Night” scores high points for its two fantastic leads, some memorable moments, fun cameos from Ray Liotta, Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, and Meg Griffin (Mila Kunis), and its ageless appeal. Strip all of that away, though, and “Date Night” is just another movie that you’ll forget even exists.

/10

-Kyle Shelton

The Proposal Review: Say 'I Do' ...but not so Fast.

What's better than putting two hot celebrities, both physically and popularly, together on the big screen during Summer blockbuster season? Have them get married and let hilarity ensue. The victims of such a shameful movie pitch: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.

But do they at least keep the marriage wagon rolling? Or does their love boat plunge into the depths of the abyss?

Well, thank the acting gods for Reynolds' charm and Bullock's cuteness.

The Proposal is a film about as deep as the surface of an above ground pool relative to sea levels...its not deep at all. Then again, what do we, as the unsuspecting movie public, come to expect from a romantic comedy starring two of the biggest stars in Hollywood? Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) is a journalist and assistant to his editing manager Margaret Tate (Bullock), whom everyone in the office hates with a fiery passion. One day, however, Tate discovers that her visa application didn't go through as planned, and is being deported back to her homeland of Canada. In a last minute, desperate effort to stay in the country and keep her esteemed job, she blackmails Paxton into faux-marrying her, to which he has almost no choice but to say "yes." That same weekend, though, Paxton's grandmother is celebrating her 90th birthday, so Paxton and Tate both have to live with eachother for a weekend up in Paxton's native Alaska with his family and bare the good news to everyone.

Hilarious, right? Well, that's just about the entire storyline right there, leading up to the ending...you know, the whole "So do they get married or not? Does the family find out?" scenario. Luckily enough, "The Proposal" isn't a bad film. While its not the most thought-out or heavily developed movie, its still charming, charismatic, and entertaining and provides fun, gimmicky flare all around.

"The Proposal" certainly passes the test of awkward comedy with flying colors...if the slapstick and cutesy interaction between Bullock and Reynolds don't tickle your funny bone, then the situations they're constantly thrust into will. The connection between the two leading roles will certainly hold your interest because you just won't be able to look away. In fact, even though Bullock plays the office-boss bitch, you'll probably find yourself rooting for them to get together in the end. And why not? They're both funny in their own ways and mesh perfectly together. Specifically, Bullock's lovable yet scathing portrayal of the uptight, mean manager will win you over, especially by the end. If you don't already like Ryan Reynolds, then he might just win you over in "The Proposal," albeit not his best work.

It stands as a fun, light, comedic romance, but there's just a few useless ingredients mixed into this subtly sweet apple pie. For example, the role between Paxton and his father provides no insight into either character nor their relationship, and its never explained why they're the way they are. This interaction could have easily been much more entertaining, but it falls as derivative and distracting. Same goes for the Paxton family name, showing them as a wealthy family business which doesn't account for any integral part of the storyline.

At his core, Paxton is a pretty 2D character besides some slight nuances. Tate, however, evolves slowly throughout the film at a nice pace. What doesn't change at a nice pace, however, is the relationship between the two. While its fun to laugh at their high jinks on-screen together, its almost completely sudden when any shift in their relationship takes place. It would have been more engaging to actually feel when they started being angry or complacent with each other rather than just see it happen at one moment.

And, well, as a whole its a bit difficult to really critique "The Proposal" for more than what it is: just a romantic comedy. Ultimately forgettable, but temporarily lovable. Also, kudos for having Betty White play the grandmother.

6.5/10

-Kyle Shelton