I had a lot of expectation going into this movie as a lot of female bloggers raved about it and I kept my expectations too high. Having said that it’s not a failure for me; far from it I did like it a lot. Bridesmaids, a 2011 comedy film written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, it is directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend. I’ve raved about Ms. Wiig before, in my review of the movie Paul but she looks very different over here. The movie starrs Wiig, Maya Rudolf, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, and Wendi McLendon-Covey Chris O’Dowd and Jill Clayburgh.

The movie is about Annie, a single woman in her mid-30s living in Milwaukee and having a tough time with her speciality bakery having to close down and losing all her savings and her boyfriend in the process. She now works in a jewellery store and has a meaningless sexual relationship with a self-absorbed man. The only positive thing going for her is her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolf) and Annie is asked to be the maid of honour for Lillian’s wedding to Doug.  At the engagement party, Annie meets her fellow bridesmaids: Lillian’s cynical cousin Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), idealistic friend Becca (Ellie Kemper), raunchy future sister-in-law Megan (Melissa McCarthy) and Helen (Rose Byrne), the “perfect” wife of Doug’s boss.

What follows next is a little battle of jealousy between Helen & Annie as each look to upstage the other in Lillian’s eyes. Going back home Annie is pulled over for broken taillights by officer Nathan Rhodes, an Irish immigrant, but he lets her go after a mild flirting between the two and on him knowing that she was the owner of the Cake Baby (Annie’s now closed bakery). Next we see Annie taking the girls to a Brazilian eatery for some spicy food, which later gives all of them food poisoning. Helen, with her wealth and connections, rejects Annie’s idea of Parisian bridal shower, getting them access to a chic bridal-gown studio after Annie failed to make a reservation, and ordering expensive designer bridesmaids gowns for the group that are beyond Annie’s means. The funniest scenes are when all the girls need to either vomit or shit violently when at the bridal studio and Lillian even has to shit wearing the wedding gown she is trying out, and while trying to cross the street to a public bathroom, she has to give in and shit on the street! LOL!

Helen then books a trip to Vegas and Annie refuses a first class ticket from her and instead sits in economy class by her self.  Because Annie is afraid of flying, Helen gives her sedatives and alcohol, causing Annie to become inebriated and paranoid, and her outbursts force the plane to land in Casper, Wyoming, where the wedding party is escorted off the plane by police, canceling the Las Vegas bachelorette party. On the bus trip back to Milwaukee, Annie tries to apologize but Lillian quietly states that she wants Helen to take over planning the shower and wedding. An upset Annie spends some time with Nathan who advices her to start her baking once again and open a new business but Annie refuses as the incident was very painful for her. She breaks off things with Nathan when he buys & gifts her baking supplies. Annie then gets fired from her job as she lashes out at a customer and also gets evicted from her apartment. Distraught she moves back home with her mother.

At the bridal shower Annie is furious to find that Helen stole her idea for a Parisian theme, later upstaging Annie’s heartfelt, handmade gift by giving Lillian a trip to Paris to be fitted for her wedding gown by one of the world’s top designers. Annie blows up and throws a tantrum, destroying some of the food & props, upsetting Lillian who tells Annie not to attend the wedding. On her way back she has a little accident & Nathan who answers the emergency call is exasperated that she still has not fixed her taillights, and tells Annie how much she hurt him and not to contact him again. After this Annie sulks at home but is given some tough love by the hilarious Megan. She decides to bake a cake and try to make amends with Nathan but he appears to rebuff her. On the day of the wedding, Helen appears on her doorstep, begging for help in finding Lillian who has gone missing. In the car, Helen tearfully apologizes for all she has done to hurt Annie and explains how lonely she is: her husband is uncaring and she has no friends, suspecting that she is only invited to weddings for her party planning skills and connections.

They call Nathan who helps them find Lillian – who was hiding out in her own apartment, overwhelmed by Helen’s micromanaging and fears how marriage will change her life, including leaving Annie alone as she feels massive guilt over disinviting her from the wedding. Annie reassures her, and herself, that everything will be fine and helps Lillian get ready for the wedding as her maid of honor once more and the wedding takes place without a hitch. As the night ends Nathan arrives, being called there by Helen, to take Annie home. The two make up and leave together.

One of the funniest all girl lead movies ever and probably made as an answer to Hangover. It’s enjoyable and sincere without being too mushy. Watch it and laugh. 8 out of 10!