Pun Salad

A couple weeks back I mentioned that Paul was your go-to movie if you've always wanted to see Kristen Wiig talk dirty. Guess what? You can make it a double feature with Bridesmaids!

Also included at no extra charge: Maya Rudolph talking dirty, Melissa McCarthy talking dirty, Wendi McLendon-Covey talking dirty, even the late Jill Clayburgh (in her final movie) talking a bit dirty, … you get the idea. It's R-rated for "some strong sexuality, and language throughout." It's one of those movies I feel a little guilty for enjoying.

Ms. Wiig plays likeable Annie; her life's on a quick slide to loserville. The only man in her life (played by Jon Hamm) exemplifies the reason why feminists invented the term "male chauvinist pig." She's a gifted baker, but her shop (and she) went broke. She's inappropriate for her jewelry store job: she keeps telling romantically-inclined customers that their relationships will probably be ephemeral.

But then her best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph) gets engaged and ropes her into maid of honor duties. The other bridesmaids are an assorted lot, full of colorful quirks and foibles, and they generate a lot of comic situations. Most irritating is Helen (Rose Byrne), who is a wizard at organizing festivities; she and Annie start a passive-aggressive competition at making Lillian's wedding experience magical. Annie is no match for Helen, and her insecurities lead her to various hilarious disasters.

It's good raunchy fun, if your tastes run that way. There are no surprises, if you've seen this sort of movie before: once Annie hits rock bottom, she finds a way to shape up, gets involved with a decent guy, turns her life around, etc. But it's all about the journey down and back up, which kept me both laughing and wincing, sometimes simultaneously.