The Comedies

I don't really have much to say about comedies.  I don't normally watch many unless they are of the "romantic" variety.  It normally takes some pretty positive feedback from the media and audiences to get me in the theater to see a comedy movie.  And that's exactly what happened for the first film below.

But when I find a comedy film that I like, I really like it.  If it makes me laugh, then I instantly have a connection to it.  Getting me to laugh can be quite difficult, unless I'm watching Wipeout.  I love classic screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby or Some Like It Hot, but to find one in the theaters now can be difficult.  I'm just not in the target audience for most comedic films.

I find things much funnier when they are either subtle or sarcastic.  When Lisa and I recently saw The Sound of Music in theaters, we were laughing at so many lines throughout the film.  It's not a comedic movie.  It's actually quite serious in parts, but once I know the characters and get a feel for them, sometimes certain lines can strike me as funny.  Hilarious even.  Steel Magnolias, one of the saddest films I've ever seen, is hysterical in parts and it is because of the characters.

Here are the comedy films I've seen this year:

Bridesmaids - This could be considered a Women's Film, but it's more of an outright comedy than anything else.  Co-written by and starring Kristen Wiig from Saturday Night Live, it's a film about the drama caused by and surrounding bridesmaids.  If you've ever been a bridesmaid, then you'll understand a lot of it.  Maybe that's one reason I found it so hilarious.  Wiig, along with Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy provide plenty of laughs.  Some of the laughs are rather dark humored, but it all makes sense.  It has more of a storyline than most comedies.  There's character depth and growth.  The characters are even fairly complex, which rarely happens in comedies that I've seen.  I hope it's not the last of Wiig we see on the the big screen.  I think she'll be one of the few to make the transition from SNL to other projects fairly smoothly.  (9/10)

Midnight in Paris - I struggled with putting this in the comedy category.  It's not a Women's Film.  It's not a Drama.  It could be considered "adventure" but didn't really fit in with the other films in the post.  So I put it here.  Being that it is directed by Woody Allen, I feel confident in my choice.  I love films that are hard to label!  Anyway, this one is about a writer who is in Paris with his fiance and her family.  While out walking one night, he happens upon a great...adventure.  I really don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it.  It was a wonderful surprise when I realized what was happening and I'd love for everyone else to be as happily surprised as I was.  

So, in avoiding the plot, I'll just tell you how wonderful the cast was:  Owen Wilson was perfect as a quirky writer; Rachel McAdams played the passive aggressive fiance really well; and Michael Sheen was absolute brilliant as the know-it-all friend who motivates Wilson's character to seek spending time elsewhere.  Sheen's character, I forget his name, is full of "knowledge" on every subject.  When they visit a museum, he "knows" everything.  I'm a huge fan of Michael Sheen and this is the first time I've really seen him play a comedic role.  He should find roles like this more often.  Loved him in this.  Marion Cotillard is in it as well, but I don't want to spoil her role.  And there are so many things to talk about that I can't.  Watch it and then find me somewhere so we can gush about it together!  (9/10)

Crazy, Stupid, Love -It was an "alright" movie until the end.  I wasn't expecting it at all, and it completely made the movie.  I'm normally not a big fan of twist endings because sometimes they don't make sense, but this one was perfect.  But other than the ending, I really liked the chemistry between Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling.  I thought they made a great pair and would be a great crime fighting duo.  And like I mentioned in my writeup about The Help, I'm loving me some Emma Stone.  She and Gosling also fit well together.  It was just a really great cast in an "alright" script.  Until the end where it became a pretty awesome script.  I can't wait to watch it again, knowing the outcome.  I'm glad I didn't the first time, but I think it could make for an interesting second viewing.  (8/10)