BEFORE: I think the reasoning for putting this film here was that it was marketed as sort of a female version of "The Hangover", and what makes more sense after a film about a 4-day bender? Maybe there will be some drinking in this film, and I can tie it in thematically with "The Lost Weekend". This was originally going to be the film I started 2013 with, but the plans changed, as plans are wont to do.
So far this year I've been adding a new film to the list every day, so I haven't moved the needle - but, on the upside, the list hasn't grown bigger since Jan. 1 either, it's still 260 films. I'm considering removing the 14 Woody Allen films that I'm fairly sure I've seen, just to get a jump on the numbers and feel like I'm making some progress.
THE PLOT: Competition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid, over who is the bride's best friend, threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef.
FOLLOW-UP TO: "The Hangover" (Movie #731) and "The Hangover Part II (Movie #1,285)
AFTER: Well, I shouldn't have worried, since there was plenty of drinking in this film, and a few references to A.A., so that keeps my chain unbroken. Plus there were prescription drugs, mixed with drinking (don't try this at home, kids - no beer for me while I'm on the pain meds...)
And I completely forgot about the Oracle of Bacon, which really makes my life so much easier. Ray Milland from "The Lost Weekend" was also in "The Last Tycoon" with Tony Curtis, who was also in "Naked in New York" with Jill Clayburgh (last seen in "Running With Scissors"), who appears in "Bridesmaids". Ah, I feel so much better now.
Another common theme between last night's film and this one - sort of a broken dream thing. Don Birnam was a failed writer, and the main character here also feels like a failure, having lost her bake shop, and pretty much her motivation with it. All she's got going for her is her unfulfilling relationshp, her annoying roommates, overbearing mother, dead-end job - OK, so she doesn't have a lot going for her. But she's got her best friend - who gets engaged, leaving her to feel more like a failure.
But the worst indignation comes when her best friend's NEW friend starts helping with the wedding plans, and jealousy rears its ugly head. Which brings me to the difference between men and women, as I see it. Men are simple creatures - we are either friends, or enemies, or work friends, or drinking friends, or teammates - and that's it. We like our relationships with other men to be simple - if there is ever any confusion, then it's settled with a couple beers, or a hug, or a punch to the face, and then everybody knows just where they stand again.
Women (and I say this having known a few, worked with several, and even married a couple) are complex creatures. They have these things called "emotions", and those often get in the way. They can secretly resent one of their friends, or act friendly towards someone they despise. And they hold grudges - when was the last time you heard a woman say, "I forgot why I was mad at you"? And they seem to refuse to confront each other, and tell each other WHY they're mad at each other. Something about not giving the other woman the satisfaction, but I don't really get it. Hey, the day someone writes a book about women that explains everything, I'll be first in line to buy it.
It's not all bad - some women (the good ones) put up with men, and also think that farts are funny. But because women have only had the same rights as men for the last century or so (sorry about that), there are still some leftover feelings of inadequacy, as this film details. If a women doesn't have "it all", if she's not the best career-oriented, child-rearing, married socialite on the upper East Side, she could perceive herself as falling short. For the vast majority of people, I think it's not possible to have it all, at least not all at the same time, and people spend far too much time worrying about it. Aim low, I say, just be the best you that you can, and that goes for both genders.
It's a terrible trick that men played on women, making them think they can have it all - men can't either, but have more practice at faking it - and keeping them down for so long that then they had to be twice as good as men to advance in a man's world. Society tells women that they need to empower themselves, then acts threatened when they do. Society tells women that they should strive to get ahead, but then pays them less. Speak up, but be ladylike. Get out and have experiences, but don't dare be a dirty slut.
Personally, I wouldn't mind if women took over completely, since they probably couldn't do any worse screwing up the world than men have. Go ahead, ladies, rise up and take control - oh, wait, you don't need my permission. As you were, or do what you want.
But perhaps since this is a film aimed at women, I found parts of it to be a little hit-or-miss. Some of the humor reminded me of scenarios from "Fawlty Towers", the TV series where John Cleese played a proper British innkeeper who tried to not be offended by the indignities of his guests, but then bottling up his frustration would force it to boil over, manifesting itself in the most comic physical situations. Like the British, some women have trouble with confrontation, as seen in this film, and then explode with rage - here, for comic effect.
I also feel the need to defend Brazilian food. I've been to several churrascarias in the New York area, and never had a problem with the meat. If anything, I've found those restaurants to have excellent service when it comes to the preparation and serving of a wide variety of proteins - there's one in Queens that we frequent, with a full buffet of sides and an all-you-can-eat meat selection. The only reason I felt uncomfortable after our last visit was my own over-indulging. But I guess showing people getting sick from Mexican or Indian food, or even sushi, is too much of a cliché.
NITPICK POINT: While I'm at it, Brazilian churrascarias are usually all-you-can-eat affairs, at least that's my experience, and that's the selling point - lots of meat, plus a buffet. Would a group of gals really go out and stuff themselves, just a few hours prior to their dress fitting? Given the competitive nature of some of these women, wouldn't they be more likely to starve themselves, to fit in smaller dress sizes? Sure, you might think that people would plan on eating at a wedding, so they'd want to make sure the clothes would have some room - but that's not how women think.
Starring Kristen Wiig (last seen in "Paul"), Maya Rudolph (last seen in "MacGruber"), Rose Byrne (last seen in "Marie Antoinette"), Chris O'Dowd (last seen in "Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel"), Jon Hamm (last seen in a cameo in "The A-Team"), Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper (last seen in a cameo in "Get Him to the Greek"), Wendi McLendon-Covey, with cameos from Rebel Wilson, Matt Lucas (last seen in "Alice in Wonderland"), Tim Heidecker, Terry Crews (last seen in "The Longest Yard"), Nancy Carell, Melanie Hutsell, the group Wilson Phillips, and character actor Richard Riehle.
RATING: 6 out of 10 tennis balls
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