Bridesmaids

If you're like me, you've heard all the great buzz about this movie, that it's one of the funniest movies of the year while having some touching moments. You and your girlfriends (or your mother in my case) or even in some cases your boyfriend skip off to the cinema to lots of laughter. And for the record, there was laughter, smiles and chuckles but to be honest, it wasn't what I expected and it was a tad discombobulating for me! So to save you from the same discombobulation (how many times can "discombobulate" be legitimately used in one review, I ask myself?), I'm here to help. Therefore, I'm sharing with you:

3 Things You Should Know Before Seeing Bridesmaids

1. Touchy-feely-stinky-gross
Our protagonist, Annie (brilliantly played by Kristen Wiig), is having some major issues in her life. Work, love, money, sex...let's just say Annie is not having a good time of it. However, her friendship with her best friend Lillian is the most meaningful thing in Annie's life as the movie begins. Their initial scenes in the cafe (where the actors did a lot of improvisation I’ve read) are truly charming and very natural - very much how two girlfriends talk. Lillian's getting married and Annie is to be the maid of honour. "Awww, this is exactly what I hoped this movie would be", I remember thinking. Cue not so much later some shocking scenes of toilet humour usually reserved for the likes of The Hangover! Vomit, sweat, explosive diarrhea...just right there in your face! Had the movie suddenly turned into Jackass 3D? As someone who lives in Britain, I embrace toilet humour; we just love laughing at our bowel movements, farts and any other manner of gross things. Still, if you are expecting this movie to be all sentiment and sweet laughter, think again! They mix it up, big time!

Oh dear, what's happening here?

2. I’m laughing! No, I’m crying!
Just last night a friend of mine told me she was going to see the movie that evening. She'd been struggling with a few things and was ready for a real laugh, a real pick-me-up. My response was, "Oooooooookay....well...yes...it is a very entertaining movie and quite funny. I chuckled, snorted and out-right laughed many times. BUT for the record, my heart hurt through most of it!" Why was this, you ask?

Watching Annie's life continue to break down and fall apart: the humiliation, the loneliness, the lack of self-respect (and therefore lack of respect shown her), the loss of her security, the change in her friendship with Lillian (the bride), her progress into her own rock-bottom was painful to watch! But if I'd known that going in, it wouldn't have bothered me so much. But like my dear, sweet, innocent friend last night, she wanted a movie to help her escape from her own pain, but my experience was it resonated deep within me (I think most women will identify with Annie on some deep level). So rather than relieving me of the burden of myself, it focused in on my own "issues". Right...I will now take a break from writing this review to call my shrink to make an urgent appointment, be with you in a sec...okay, appointment made...normalcy here I come...riiiiight?

Best friends since childhood Annie & Lillian

3. One day at a time
Now, the third thing is noooo biggy. I suppose you could argue that this really isn't anything you need to know before seeing the movie. But why not take a moment to let you know something that you may question when you watch Bridesmaids, that you may say, "Hmmm, is that so?" so I will declare it now in this review to live on forever (or until my Go Daddy domain expires). Ready? Here is is: AA is for alcoholics as in alcoholics who have actually drunk alcoholically. You'll know what I mean when you watch it.

So there you have it. Thanks to this insightful and not at all self-indulgent review, you can now go forth and watch Bridesmaids and it'll be everything you want it to be at more because I will have prepared you for the things that discombobulated me (that's 4 times I've used it for those of you counting as we go) . In fact, this review is soooooo useful I may just go and see Bridesmaids again and then I can hopefully report back to my psychiatrist how much less it hurt my soul the second time.

What do you think, have you seen it? Was it what you expected? Do you agree/disagree?