Bachelorette: "What Do You Call A Bachelorette Party Without A Bride"

Director: Leslye Headland
Writer:    Leslye Headland
Starring: Kirsten Dunst
               Lizzy Caplan
               Isla Fisher
               Rebel Wilson
               James Marsden
               Kyle Bornheimer
               Adam Scott
               Hayes MacArthur
Rating:    ****

Release Date: TBC

Recently we have been 'treated' to a lot of wedding themed comedies, Bachelorette is the only one I can think of that has gone down a very different and darker path, and for that I commend it. While the girls-gone-wild movie follows a  similar story to films like Bridesmaids and The Hangover, a dysfunctional set of friends almost destroy the wedding thanks to their drunken antics, Bachelorette relies a lot more on the characters dark vices rather than the hilarious mishaps they are creating. One thing is for certain though, gritty humour and blurry chaos will indeed ensue.

Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan & Kirsten Dunst

As well as the brilliantly written script and indie direction the first-time director (Headland) has taken, the cast are what pull everything together in a neat, dysfunctional package. Becky (Wilson) is our bride-to-be; and as a former geek, she is the last person in her group of friends that anyone expected to get married...first. Most horrified by such a thought is Becky's stuck up, selfish and wicked maid of Honour Regan (Dunst), who always wanted to be the first of her friends to walk down the aisle, especially before her 'fat' friend.

The final places in this new zany group of friends are taken up by sweet, unlucky-in-love and drug addicted Katie (Fisher), and self confessed moody, bitchy, whore Gena (Caplan). Though both have questionable personality traits and on the surface should be completely unlikable, they have their reasons for their issues, and the actresses portraying them make you root for them despite their flaws. 

Rebel Wilson

Regan is the leader of the little group, so aptly named the Bitch Faces, and she is the one that has to spend the night before her friends wedding trying to save a wedding dress, mending Gena's past relationships and keeping Katie alive; all while remaining deliciously fierce. As one character so rightly points out, she is the Hannibal Lector of bridesmaids.

The comedy in Bachelorette is devilishly dark, and while sometimes the dryness of it is side-splittingly funny, at times it leaves you wanting more. Each visual gag or sharp punchline is delivered with a moody kick, and it fits the tone of the movie, story and characters perfectly. Caplan does the best job with the sarcastic styling, something she has always excelled at (hello, Mean Girls). Rather than becoming an over-the-top stereotype (which Fisher is occasionally guilty of), she plays it with subtlety; remaining honest and believable, as well as hilarious.

Kyle Bornheimer, James Marsden, Hayes MacArthur
& Adam Scott

The finished product, which is served up with such glee, is a wonderful alternate to the many other wedding/bachelorette party type movies we have been witnessing in the last couple of years, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Every character is written with strength, but also their own vulnerabilities (some subtler than others) that they must deal with and fight against. It has a superb female lead cast, that really shows up the male co-stars, and a truly funny and at times unique script that is also filled with gritty moments as well; something I haven't seen in a while. OK, so it isn't necessarily a fresh idea, but what it is, is a fresh way of filming and producing it; and that is why I enjoyed Bachelorette so much.

 Bachelorette - Red Band Trailer