2012 is more than underway! As we are now in the third month of the year, people everywhere are taking stock of the twelve months that made up 2011. As others tend to reflect on foreign affairs and, economic matters, and the latest technological breakthroughs, my mind happens to be focused on something more leisurely: the comedies that were screened to the delight of movie-lovers everywhere. I remember being excited whenever a new comedic film was headed to the theaters; so much so that I kept searching the Internet about any updates or changes to a specific one. And due to the intriguing premises of the films as well as the involvement of some of my favorite performers, I was excited to see a good number of comedies either in the theater or on DVD. Unfortunately, to my vast disappointment, a good number of films proved to be not as entirely great as I hoped they would . Some particular films failed to have a good storyline, weak performances, and humor that appeared artificial. . Henceforth, in response to the year 2011, I can say with no hesitation:
2011 Wasn't the Best Year for Comedy Films
One of the comedies that disappointed me in some way was perhaps the most widely-praised films of 2911. I'm talking about the p Judd Apatow-produced “Bridesmaids;” which opened May 13th and starred Kristen Wiig as Annie; a former pastry chef whose life falls apart when her best friend Lillian, portrayed by Maya Rudolph, is getting married. Kristen Wiig, who also co-wrote the script, bestowed an entertaining and personable performance as the film's lead and went on to receive an Academy Award Nomination for Best Screenplay. The film starred a collection of hilarious actresses that included Melissa McCarthy; who stole the spotlight as Megan; the sharp-tongued sister of the groom. Throughout the film, McCarthy displayed a true knack for both physical and verbal comedy; resulting in one of the year's most comedic performances. Melissa McCarthy's involvement in the film earned her many honors; including an Academy Award Nomination in the Best Supporting Actress comedy. The film also featured keen performances by Chris O'Dowd, who portrayed the Officer Nathan Rhodes, the eventual love interest of Kristen Wiig's Annie, and Jon Hamm; who hysterically played our heroine's sleazy on-and-off-again sex partner. Needless to say, there was a lot of great talent in this movie. However, in all honesty, not everything in “Bridesmaids” was perfect. For starters, while Kristen Wiig gave a memorable performance as the film's central protagonist, I greatly wish that some of the supporting actresses, such as Wendi McLendon- Covey and Ellie Kemper, got more opportunities to demonstrate their comedic skills. Both McLendon-Covey and Kemper were very funny as bridesmaids Rita and Becca respectfully; and I wish they got more screentime. Furthermore, some of the comedy in the film appeared forced in order to generate laughter from the audience. One such scene I found to be a tad much was when, as a result of food poisoning, Mclendon-Covey's Rita, Kemper's Becca vomitted in the sink of a bridal boutique. During the same sequence, , McCarthy's Megan expelled bodily waste in the sink; which eventually lead her to receive a lot of attention from critiques and moviegoers. . While I'm happy to see a group of talented actresses get the opportunity to demonstrate their comedic skills, the action appeared forced to get laughter from the audience. I would have liked to seen Kristen Wiig and her writing parter Annie Mumolo come up with a more subtle and less desperate attempt to make moviegoers laugh. Thus, “Bridesmaids” may have been a good opportunity for a talented ensemble of women to engage in R-rated comedy flair, but alas, it wasn't as perfect as I hoped.
Another movie that proved to not be as great as previously hoped was “Crazy, Stupid, Love;” which opened on July 29th. The movie starred Steve Carell as Cal Weaver; a family man that is greatly saddened when his wife Emily, played by Julianne Moore, tells him that she slept with a co-worker and wants a divorce. When first hearing about this movie, I was greatly hoping that Carell would be giving a passionate performance; one that would have been equal to his breakout feat in 2005's “The 40-Year Old Virgin.” Unfortunately, throughout his recital, Carell delivered his lines in a manner completely devoid of raw human emotion. The actor looked as if he was hardly into his role; resulting in a lack of chemistry with Julianne Moore. Because of this, I didn't truly believe the yearning Carell's on-screen persona had for Julianne Moore's Emily.. However, I do have to say that Ryan Gosling gave a very engaging performance as Jacob Palmer; an expert ladies' man who gives Carell's Cal Weaver advice on how to meet single women. The interactions shared between the two characters were quite engaging; mostly due to the latter's fiery performance. Furthermore, his scenes with Emma Stone, who played an aspiring lawyer that proved to be the one woman that was able to initially reject his character's advances, were very enjoyable; as they exhibited top-notch chemistry and acting that truly helped save the film from being completely disappointing. In fact, I truly wish that Fogelman would have centered more of his attention on the relationship between Gosling and Stone's characters; thus allowing bother performers to spend more time on screen together. Their acting proved to be more engaging than Steve Carell's and even Julianne Moore's; who turned in a bland performance as Emily and didn't truly deliver anything memorable. This is a true shame; seeing as Carell and Moore played the film's central characters; and they both failed to bestow genuine acting.
While “Bridesmaids” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love” had their fair share of disappoints, it has to be said that it was “The Hangover: Part II” proved to be the biggest misfire of the summer. When it opened this past Memorial Day Weekend, I was looking forward to reuniting with the “Wolf Pack,” once again played by talented comic-actors Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis, for another adventure.. However, to my dismay, a majority of the format followed the exact structure of the first film Only this time, it was Ed Helms' panicky dentist Stu Price that was getting married and the entire affair was taking place in Thailand-- rather than Las Vegas. It was obvious that Screenwriters Scott Amstrong, and Craig Mazin thought the change in scenery would prove to provide much laughter. However, this proved to be wrong as there were hardly any surprises in the film. We knew what to expect right at the beginning; as the movie even started out the same way. As a result, much of the comedy appeared staged in an attempt to recapture the glory of the original film. As the actors stumbled their way from one sequence to the next, I hardly laughed at all. This was the complete opposite from two years ago; as I remember laughing non-stop; considering that the entire story was creative and all the scenes played out in a genuine manner. In other words, we never knew what to expect and our laughter was honest. Here, we were able to predict what happened; leading to a drastic loss of merriment. Thus, the magic was gone and “The Hangover: Part Two” proved to be the biggest low-point of the Summer 2011.
But while these films let me down in various ways this past summer, there were a few comedies that proved bright enough to salvage the year. For instance, “Our Idiot Brother,” which opened August 26th, featured an engaging story as well as a very endearing performance by Paul Rudd; who starred as Ned; a carefree guy who inadvertently disrupts the personal lives of his sisters-- payed by Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, and Zooey Deschanel.. As Ned, Paul Rudd kept the audience's attention through his lighthearted delivery and his personable attitude. In addition, the rest of the cast's characters were given plenty of screentime; thus allowing viewers enough opportunities to enjoy all the performances. Combined with a humorous and heartfelt screenplay written by Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall, “Our Idiot Brother” proved to be one of the better comedies of 2011. Another comedy that proved to be very good was “The Change-Up;” which took the body-swap premise, one that has been done before, and utilized it with comical R-rated flair-- thanks in large part two great performances by stars Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds. The film, which opened August 4th, centered around an over-worked business and family man named Dave Lockwood, played by Jason Bateman, switching bodies with his single and womanizing friend Mitch Planko,played by Ryan Reynolds, after urinating in a magical public fountain. The screenplay, written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, proved to tell the story of two completely different male friends who learn to better themselves when experiencing each others lives. What's more, Both Bateman and Reynolds possessed great chemistry; as they were able to trade barbs flawlessly. Both performers gave likable performances; and it was great to see them demonstrate keen comedic timing. The movie proved to be very enjoyable; thus proving that a common premise could provide plenty of opportunities for laughter. In addition,
All in all, 2011 may not have been the best year form comedy; but, perhaps it may have been a transition period. Filmmakers could possibly be trying to see what makes people laugh the most. And this year, we can take to heart that the most important aspects that guarantee a good comedy include atop-notches performances and genuine comedy. Hopefully this year's crop of comedies are much better; thus allowing moviegoers to enjoy themselves in the theaters, After all, good comedies bring people together through the power of laughter and joy. And that is no joke.
E-mail me at thatsnatertainment@gmx.com
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