Bridesmaids

It is disparaging to hear that people are as shocked by "Bridesmaids" as they are. A truly funny comedy with women, which out-grosses and outshines any other male dominated funny this year? Is it really so hard to believe?  Almost inevitably, others have lazily dubbed it, 'the female "Hangover"'. Well this is not the case, because plain and simple "Bridesmaids" is a very funny film, regardless of any comparison to any others in breaking new ground. There is no novelty to be found here; women are funny and any men going into this surprised that Kristen Wiig could make them laugh harder than anything else in multiplexes this year, really needs to get out more. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are both successful graduates of SNL, working in two of the highest rated shows on TV. Sarah Silverman might have her detractors, but that hasn't stopped her going on to becoming one of the most thriving female comediennes in recent memory. Jessica Stevenson (née, Hynes), wrote and starred in "Spaced" with Simon Pegg well before Hollywood came knocking on their doors. Joan Rivers is still delivering sardonic quips on stage and television after all of these years. If this is still under discussion after "Bridesmaids", then ignorance has completely given over to sexism. Surprise, surprise, these women are funny. Have been for years. Will continue to be. Not to say that there aren't unfunny women in comedy out there, but this pertains to there being plenty of men who also share that unfunny bone in their body. And with this film, they get the best platform in years to prove that point. Kristen Wiig has for some time now, become a quality answer to that guy who suggests that women might lack any mirth or merriment. Week after week, she completely outshines her male co-stars on SNL, being the only consistant member in the whole cast. She is a natural and gifted performer; completely giving herself over to any role, whether it be at the expense of vanity or class. That is perhaps her biggest asset; that in disregarding all these things in her search for the 'realness' in characters, she always manages to retain a sense of humanity and dignity in her comedy, even when she may look and act anything but. That the film is the success it is, is down to her.

The balance that the film so finely straddles, is in finding the truth in even it's most outrageous moments. It carries it's fair share of disgraceful and foul mouthed humour, but it's gags would not work as well were it not for it's cast. Kristin Wiig is Annie, recently chosen by her BFF Lillian (Maya Rudolph) to be her Maid Of Honour. Unfortunately for Annie, this brings back up a swirl of passive resentment and panic that her own life, is not going as neatly or as well as it should. Along the way she has to contend with the gang of Bridesmaids and Rose Byrne's Helen, who vies with Annie for Lillians attention and approval every step of the way. With her subtle undermining of Annie, along with work, money and man woes, she begins to crack under the pressure of organising the run up to her best friends big day. Annie's reaction of trying to be happy for that special someone's achievements, when you are so very far away from them in your own life, is a searingly relatable position. Sure maybe women might inherently get it's neuroses that bit more but this should not deter men from their own enjoyment of the film. Anyone can laugh at the scatalogical gross out of that dress fitting scene no matter what your sex, especially when delivered as well as it is. Although Wiig herself co-wrote the script, she is a very giving actor, letting each of the Bridesmaids to get at least one chance to shine. In fact it is only truly in one scene that she let's herself radiate as her airplane trip from hell translates into comedy gold for us in quite possibly the funniest scene in the film. As far as the cast goes, it is Melissa McCarthy as Megan who gets the breakout here, gaining the lions share of laughs. Chris O'Dowd shows why he is making waves across the Atlantic in a confidant and charming display of his talents. Although serving only as Wiig's potential love interest, he nontheless makes the most in every scene he is in. Sure some of the maids don't register as deeply as others but the film just couldn't reasonably fit them all in, and any more would certainly outstay it's already generous 2 hour running time. But they are cast impeccably and add to the films considerable charms.

The film has been already proclaimed as the break out comedy hit of the Summer - there is usually one that the distributers bet their money on to clean up at the box office despite it's moderate budget. While there have been plenty of comedies this year that have tried and failed to make us laugh, it seems that "Bridesmaids" is the first one to truly stand out from the crowd. The film mixes deft and engaging humour, with a sweet emotional undercurrent to the madcap shenanigans. There is no trick to the films success; it is simply a perfect marriage of script and cast. Director Paul Feig, himself a graduate of TV's "The Office", "Arrested Development" and "Mad Men" handles events more than competently. In fact I'm sure on set the issue of whether or not these girls were funny was never raised; rather that they are too funny. Judging by the comfortable improvisational skills they all had, along with most being friends prior to filming, means that there must have been a heavy abundance of great stuff that just couldn't be wedged in, left on the cutting room floor. It doesn't matter whether you be boy or girl, you will find this film funny. Sure, those without X Chromosomes may wince that slight bit more at the antics on screen, but only in the same way guys may feel that only they truly get a film like "The Hangover". A good film is a good film and that fact of whether you are male or female is irrelevant to having a great time experiencing it.

Verdict: 8/10
The funniest comedy so far this year, deftly mixes off the wall, sidesplitting chunks of humour, with a genuine and none too mawkish sentiment. Although the notoriously prickly Academy tends to ignore comedy, the consideration for Kristin Wiig for Best Actress begins here. She really is that good. Of course, this is something we always knew.

"Bridesmaids" Trailer

The Town

Ben Affleck has made a startling career transformation in a mere seven years. It was 2003 in which "Gigli" was released, an International box office flop that had Affleck rendered a laughing stock. Parody was everywhere; with Affleck it was just too easy and like shooting fish in a barrel. That career low, coupled with his disastrous marriage to Jennifer Lopez almost left his career in tatters. Stunning then that in just two films, Affleck has completely turned his fortunes around. No longer do people wonder how much more talented his original writing partner Matt Damon is, or if Affleck ever even had any input into "Good Will Hunting"? Now his name is a byword for smart and intelligent adult dramas that are actually entertaining movie fodder for a Saturday night. He entertains the masses, but does not ask them to switch off their brain to do so. He respects character and plotting and does not shy away from harsh or gritty themes. All this, from that guy in "Reindeer Games".

Affleck again returns to the seedy underbelly of his hometown of Boston. In his previous film, ''Gone Baby Gone'' he presented very unsavory characters that would sell their own child for drugs or money. He depicted just how tough the streets are and how easy it is to get lost in their moral murkiness. With ''The Town'', he presents us with 'Charlestown'', a small neighbourhood in the Boston locale, which we're told houses most of the criminals responsible for the 300 or so bank robberies committed there every year. It is here that we open on Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck), as he and his team rob a bank. Affleck shows his progression as a filmaker from the off, as this expertly mounted and brilliantly planned heist, is echoed in Afflecks Directing skills. In fact each of the three or so major action scenes are all brilliantly orchestrated. Events are feverous and hectic but never do the audience lose track of what is happening on screen. Its shoot-outs in particular rank as some of the best I have seen in years. As MacRay and his team take hostage Claire, (Rebecca Hall), a young bank teller, MacRay then takes it on himself to keep tabs on her, to make sure she does not give away any details she may have witnessed about MacRay and his masked group, to Special Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm). As Doug and Claires relationship begins to grow, Doug soon realises that this may not be the life for him after all. But with the screws tightening from the FBI closing in and tension within the group itself, will he actually be able to make it out of Charlestown alive?

The ensemble cast are all superb. Affleck knows talented actors and litters his film with them. Hamm continues his role to superstardom as the very cunning and calculating Special Agent. In one scene in particular he jumps from slyly charming, to steel and beady eyed malice in a heartbeat. However Affleck does not drown his film with out and out bad guys. Characters here carry shades of grey to them. So while Frawley may be the antagonist, he is not all bad. Only Postlethwaite carries any of the panto 'boo and hiss' trappings of his villainous turn. Possibly the best performance of the film belongs to Renner as Jem, Dougs best friend. Exhibiting all the intensity that got him an Oscar nomination for ''The Hurt Locker'', his role provides a lot of the tension and emotion. A pent up ball of fury that may erupt at any time, his most heart stopping and stand out moment comes when he accidentally stumbles upon Doug and Claire on a date. His is a character borne out of his tough upbringing. Violence is all he knows and is the only way he knows how to express himself. He may not exhibit the remorse Doug has for his actions, but there is still something entirely sympathetic about him. A product of a rough and rotten upbringing, his downfall began at a young age when he killed another kid because he 'didn't like the look of him'. Under Renner's skilled wing, Jem isn't just the homicidal maniacal caricature he could easily have been, but something far more more sad and layered. Tension in the group comes from him at heart feeling threatened by Halls character. He doesn't want to lose his buddy and half brother and on these streets, family is everything. So when Doug tells him how he's 'getting out', what else can Jem do but fight? He is nothing outside of Charlestown and the prospect of existing in a world outside of it is too scary. Jealousy stems from Dougs ability to at least try to leave, something Jem could never do.

And then there is Affleck the actor. While this is undoubtably the best he has been in years, it is still outmatched by his skills behind the camera. One of the biggest strengths is the films ability to still seem fresh and entertaining when the the plot and themes are anything but. Boston crime in film is so common now, it could form a sub-genre onto itself. With Afflecks previous film, ''Gone Baby Gone'', it is also joined by ''Mystic River'' and ''The Departed'' in the familial stakes. That the film also shares parallel themes with the 1995 classic ''Heat'' and ''Point Break'', shows that Affleck is hardly treading on new ground here. It is this which while is certainly a big plus, it also means the film is prevented from 'classic' status. Events here have been covered plenty of times before and the film will offer you nothing new in the way of crime thrillers. It will however, offer a very solid and exciting evenings entertainment with some of the best ensemble acting in recent memory. Affleck should be applauded for making films for adults once again, and the films strong showings in both the US and Europe show that they are more than ready for films that don't have to rely on special effects to be a commercial hit. That Affleck has also changed the publics perception of his talent is astounding in itself. Tell anyone walking out of ''Forces of Nature'', that that actor will be writing and directing some of the finest and mature films appearing in cinemas in 10 years from now and they might have been liable to laugh in your face. In fact, I might have too.

Verdict: 79%

Ben Affleck cements his new found reputation as a very talented Director, with this expertly crafted and exciting crime drama. He builds on his Directing skills while also providing a more than solid nights entertainment. Expect to see this nominated for its outstanding cast come the awards season.

''The Town'' Trailer