When "Bridesmaids" (MY REVIEW) first came out in 2011, everyone was thinking this would just be a female version of "The Hangover" and would a forgettable failure. However, surprisingly, it actually gained critical acclaim and scored big at the box office. It was up for Best Picture Comedy and its cast were also cited in several award giving groups, including the Oscars.
Despite all that success proving that females can also do very well in raunchy comedy, it would take another six years before Hollywood gathered another group of ladies together for another naughty, but this time, also a black comedy to boot. At first the situation may seem similar to "Bridesmaids" to be any good, as it also involved a wedding with the bride gathering together all her good friends.
Four college friends, Jess (Scarlett Johansson), Alice (Jillian Bell), Frankie (Ilana Glazer), and Blair (Zoë Kravitz), reunite in Miami for a bachelorette party for Jess. Jess also invites her Australian friend Pippa (Kate McKinnon) to join in the fun. As these parties go, the girls go drinking in a bar, get high with cocaine and and hire a male stripper. Unfortunately, a freak accident happens to the stripper and he fell down dead! Can the girls cover up their crime and sneak their way around this awful mishap?
Of course, we do not really think of Scarlett Johannson as a comedian at all, the way she is in all these superhero films nowadays it seems (and she did have a fight scene here too). Zoe Kravitz is also out of her usual element here, and her Blair even gets involved in some pretty steamy scenes with their oversexed neighbors Lea and Pietro (played by Demi Moore and Ty Burrell). Stiff and awkward, let's just say they are obviously not natural comedians.
Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell and Ilana Glazer are the true comedians and they cause most of the comic situations the girls get themselves into. Their comedy styles are very different from each other. McKinnon is the louder and more "in-your-face" type of comic. Maybe because of her physical attributes, Bell plays the desperate loser type of characters. As a political activist, Glazer had a more indie and laid back vibe in her comedy.
As Jess' husband-to-be Peter, Paul W. Downs figures in a lot of the movie's more original, most stupid and funniest scenes. I guess for a female-driven film like this (written and directed by a woman Lucia Aniello), it can be expected that men end up as the butt of jokes. It is interesting to note that Downs had writing credits along with Aniello. I wonder which if his own ridiculous scenes (lame bachelor party, driving in a diaper) were his contributions?
I am not really a fan of raunchy comedy movies. I do not like too much cursing, or too much drinking. I do not like using drugs to create comic situations. There was a lot of those here, which had me groaning in the first quarter. That said, Jess' predicament (vying for State senate and an upcoming wedding, now complicated by a murder scandal involving a stripper) managed to be engaging enough to follow to its resolution, despite the annoying characters you meet along the way. 6/10.
This probably is only good to watch when the kids have finally all gone to bed. I wouldn't want to expose them to any sort of influences in this movie.
ReplyDeleteRaunchy comedy movies are also not for me but these are fine to watch together with girl friends on a weekend night when there's no other more decent choice. I think the interplay of the characters can be a good reason to watch this one.
ReplyDeleteI do watch a variety of movies, no particular preferences. As long as the storyline is great, then I'm in. :) I've never watched this on the big screen yet, but I'll be watching out for this. This looks like an interesting movie :)
ReplyDeleteDebauchwry is immoral aa I look at the meaning of debauched danes. Wwll, the movie turns out to be a sex comedy. I'm not inclined to watch it.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pitty,my Husband and I do like Scarlett Johannson she is such an cute actress, but we don't want to see her, or anyone else for that matter in a movie with bad language, drugs etc.
ReplyDeleteI had heard of Rough Night. Seeing the trailer you know what to expect in the movie. Everybody think The Hangover was hilarious and it's exactly the same kind of scenario. I'll still give it a go
ReplyDeleteYou were very generous with your grading for this movie. It sounds like a disaster reaching for straws. Not my cup of tea. I must add that I like the actors in other movies.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Bridesmaid movie. The story does sound interesting! I guess I'll watch it!
ReplyDeletenow this seems good to watch.. as a guy the title really caught my attention.. your review also kinda gave an idea what to expect so i guess i'll be checking this one time soon. :)
ReplyDeleteI`m not a fan of comedy movies with too much cursing and drinking as well. Nowadays, it seems like it`s a trend for many comedians to curse a lot to stress their points in their jokes. It takes great and witty thinking to come up with clean yet hilarious jokes.
ReplyDelete❀ Grace ❀