Bridesmaids
It isn't very often that a female-orientated comedy actually manages to be funny (or funny enough for a male audience) and I think a big part of Bridesmaids' success is down to the casting of Kristen Wiig, a genuinely funny actress. All too often 'female' comedies (IE. Chick flicks and romantic comedies) are dominated by comedic vacuums like Katherine Heigl or Julia Roberts - they get cast because they're famous, not because they're funny. Bridesmaids bucks this tradition, and is standout hilarious from start to finish as a result. Wiig takes her chance to shine and throws herself into it with a gutso that Ms. Roberts would probably find undignified. Sure, a lot of the film's success hinges on set pieces like the dress-fitting and plane scenes, making it feel like a bit like a female version of The Hangover, but for my money it's a better film than any other comedy in 2011 because everything is perfectly pitched and there are absolutely no weak points in the script or cast.
DIRECTOR: Paul Feig
WRITER/SOURCE: Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo.
KEY ACTORS: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd, Jill Clayburgh, John Hamm, Rebel Wilson, Matt Lucas, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Terry Crews
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Just Go With It
Geez, Sandler just really phones it in for a paycheck sometimes, doesn't he? In this (loose) remake of The Cactus Flower, Sandler gives the same performance he gives in all his 'normal' comedies as layer after layer of half-arsed farce unfolds in the holiday location of Hawaii. Leaving aside the many holes in the plot, this film is elevated slightly by a much better supporting cast than Sandler's last paypacket Grown Ups (which was quite easily the laziest film Sandler has ever made). Aniston and Sandler have a good chemistry together, and it was surprising to see Nicole Kidman doing a comedic variation on her ice queen routine, but I could've done without the 'cute' actress-kid and Sandler's ridiculous cousin (played by Nick Swardson). The fake identities aspect of the film is a tired concept that really only weighs the film down, and I kinda think Sandler and Aniston might've done better to make a more straight-forward romcom (or at least attenmpted something original).
DIRECTOR: Denis Dugan
WRITER/SOURCE: Allan Loeb and Timothy Dowling
KEY ACTORS: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nick Swardson, Nicole Kidman, Dan Patrick, Brooklyn Decker, Dave Matthews, Bailee Madison, Griffin Gluck, Kevin Nealon
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Arthur
Russell Brand mines his wildchild image further with this remake of the 'classic' Dudley Moore hit comedy. I can't say I was ever a huge fan of the original Arthur, so I don't really feel an attachment to any particular elements this remake may have trodden on in the quest for fresh laughs. Brand treads an easy line between drunken space-waster and charming clown (I dare say the acting involved was fairly minimal), and I guess one's opinion of the film will depend on how they feel about Brand himself. I like Brand, and I found this film to be an unexpected delight. Helen Mirren and Greta Gerwig are endearing (in very different ways) in their supporting roles, and the whole thing is quite funny in the freewheeling, self-indulgent kind of way that a lot of films are afraid to embrace. Top notch. A glorious orgy of wit and comedic spectacle.
DIRECTOR: Jason Winer
WRITER/SOURCE: Peter Baynham. Based on the 1981 film by Steve Gordon.
KEY ACTORS: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Luis Guzman, Geraldine James, Nick Nolte, Evander Holyfield
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30 Minutes or Less
This movie is about what it would be like if one of those half-baked bank robbery plans that every 20 year old stoner comes up with was actually put into action. Jesse Eisenberg plays a pizza-delivering slacker who gets manipulated by a silver-spoon redneck (Danny McBride) into robbing a bank. Aziz Ansari co-stars as Eisenberg's partner-in-crime, and the film gets big points from me just for having Ansari in it as it's great to see him doing his hilarious schtick in a film. Eisenberg is trying to break away from awkward Michael Cera-territory but I don't think his nerdy/intellectual WASPness really suits this laidback Seth Rogen-esque kind of role. The film also cheats a bit, it doesn't really end properly - a lot of the plot is left unresolved, which I think is a big no-no when it comes to 'everything goes wrong' comedies (Date Night, Pineapple Express). Part of the fun ise seeing how the hopeless characters get out of the impossible situation, something that 30 Minutes or Less glosses over. That aside though, the film is still a whole tonne of fun... funny and unpredictable in the right places, and Ansari and McBride are always good comedic value.
DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer
WRITER/SOURCE: Michael Diliberti
KEY ACTORS: Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansair, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson, Michael Pena, Fred Ward, Dilshad Vadsaria
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Your Highness
The idea of James Franco and Danny McBride going on a medieval fantasy quest whilst toking up and chasing women sounds great in theory (and looked great in the trailer), but the balance between comedy and serious fantasy in Your Highness is largely misjudged. Franco is too much of a straight man and the jokes (whilst funny) are offset by too much in the way of serious fantasy questing. I think some comparison could be made to Will Ferrell's adventure film Land of the Lost, though in this case the adventure element just didn't really do it for me. McBride has been gettinfg stronger as a comic actor since his success with Eastbound and Down, but it's a shame that this wasn't capitalised more by pushing the film away from expensive CGI-laden fight scenes and more towards hilariously offensive silliness. Natalie Portman isn't really all that funny either, and more should have been done with Zooey Deschanel's character instead as she had a lot more potential for solid laughs.
DIRECTOR: David Gordon Green
WRITER/SOURCE: Danny McBride and Ben Best
KEY ACTORS: Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, Toby Jones, Justin Theroux, Charles Dance
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Paul
A couple of hapless and socially awkward sci-fi geeks tour America's UFO hotspots and have their dreams come true when they meet a fugitive alien named Paul (Seth Rogen). It's Starman meets Fanboys, a sweet-natured but foul-mouthed road movie and a throwback to a non-cynical form of comedy-adventure that isn't afraid to do things that feel good (much like Paul himself). Simon Pegg and Nick Frost seem a little watered down in comparison to their Edgar Wright-directed films, but this is probably a necessity as it allows their characters to contrast effectively with the laidback alien. Jason Bateman stands out in a stock-standard Man in Black role due to his increasingly assured sense of rhythm as a big screen comedic actor, and also watch out for a gazillion references to famous sci-fi/adventure films from the 1970s and 80s. This is a really fun film that will apppeal to a certain geek-savvy audience, and is most definitely not for kids (despite the 'cute' CGI alien).
DIRECTOR: Greg Mottola
WRITER/SOURCE: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
KEY ACTORS: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, Jo Lo Truglio, Sigourney Weaver, Jane Lynch, David Koechner, John Carroll Lynch, Jeffrey Tambor
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Horrible BossesI'm sad to say that this film noir-inspired comedy is hugely overrated. This makes me sad because I expected big things from it due to its dream cast. I guess this is one of those cases where the film's trailer just gave too many of the good jokes away... Colin Farrell barely features, and I think they would've done well to streamline the cast a little bit by getting rid of Jason Sudeikis. Charlie Day, despite being the least well-known cast member, easily gives the standout performance as a sex-offending dental assistant. Okay, so Day pretty much just reprises his character from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but it's so great to see him on the big screen interacting with A-listers like Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston. Horrible Bosses is actually quite plot-heavy, borrowing from the Hitchcock classic Strangers on a Train to create one big frustrating mess of Things Going Wrong. It's not a terrible film, but it's also not the gutbuster that the trailer suggests it is, and I didn't find myself laughing all that much.
DIRECTOR: Seth Gordon
WRITER/SOURCE: Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
KEY ACTORS: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Donald Sutherland
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Bad Teacher
Cameron Diaz has a shaky relationship with comedy (she's good at it, but the projects where she tries to showcase it, such as The Sweetest Thing, aren't always that great) so it was nice to see her headline a sharp bad taste comedy in the mode of Bad Santa. There isn't a whole lot to this film, it's pretty much a ripoff of the first season of Eastbound and Down (even with the character of Lynn standing in for Eastbound and Down's Stevie), and sometimes I felt that the bad taste could've been taken a bit further. The characters and plotting are basic at best, but there are more than a few solid laughs that make the film a fun and pleasant experience. Also, Justin Timberlake's character doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, but it is nice to finally see Jason Segel playing someone who doesn't have any loserish tendencies.
DIRECTOR: Jake Kasdan
WRITER/SOURCE: Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky.
KEY ACTORS: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins, Molly Shannon, Thomas Lennon
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Gulliver's TravelsIf you ever feel like losing a couple of braincells in exchange for zero entertainment, then I heartily recommend Gulliver's Travels - a 'sassy' update of the classic novel that re-imagines Gulliver as a modern day slacker played by Jack Black. Remember when Jack Black was hip and funny? Well, if you do, this movie will erase that memory once and for all. This is lowest common denominator comedy aimed at undemanding family audiences. Black's one-note brand of comedy wears thinner than ever within several minutes, and a talented cast of transatlantic comedians go to waste in this bombastic and incredibly unfunny fantasy-drama. The plot is tired and tedious, and Black seems bissfully unaware that the varnish of his particular brand of humour has completely worn off.
DIRECTOR: Rob Letterman
WRITER/SOURCE: Joe Stillman and Nicholas Stoller. Loosely based on the novel by Jonathan Swift.
KEY ACTORS: Jack Black, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet, Billy Connelly, Catherine Tate, James Corden, Chris O'Dowd, T. J. Miller
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Crazy Stupid Love
This film sees directors Glenn Ficarra and James Requa follow up their underappreciated gem I Love You Philip Morris with a more crowd-pleasing comedy. It feels like they've deliberately mined some less offensive material than usual in order to appeal to a more mainstream audience. Normally this would feel cynical to me but the heart of their work as filmmakers isn't reliant on this sort of thing, and Crazy Stupid Love never feels less than meaningful, nor does it take easy pathways through its themes. Steve Carrell plays an alternate version to his character from Date Night, surviving through a scenario where his marriage wasn't saved. He's forced to go out and learn how to be single again with the help of a young uber-lothario played by Ryan Gosling (a character so confident it seems like a talking version of his character from Drive). Carrell and Gosling are surprisingly good together, and the humour is on the dark side but always realistic. This is a film about real life, a romantic comedy that uses sentiment sparingly btu effectively. It's not the boring film it sounds like, and watch out for a great twist about two thirds in!
DIRECTOR: Glenn Ficarra and James Requa.
WRITER/SOURCE: Dan Fogelman
KEY ACTORS: Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, John Carroll Lynch, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon, Analeigh Tipton, Josh Groban
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