Best of the Year So Far: Big Splashes in the CInematic Pool

Bridesmaids

2011 has already set itself apart from last year with a number of truly unqualified gems of the cinematic order. The medium continues to develop new voices that speak to us in fresh and original ways, and a number of masters have been able to find new takes to stretch the imagination as well. Here are ten favorites, presented in alphabetical order, so far (click on the title to read the full review):

The Arbor (United Kingdom): Clio Barnard’s strange experiment in documentary filmmaking follows the sad story of playwright Andrea Dunbar and the children who begot her sins. But more fascinating is Ms. Barnard’s unique style that only brings the voice in, allowing her to run wild with the visuals, truly accentuating the story in powerful ways.

Bridesmaids (United States): While suffering from some of the minor issues that all Judd Apatow films seem to carry, Bridesmaids is certainly the funniest movie of the year so far, with Kristin Wiig giving it all in a raunchy gross-out comedy with truly realized characters and a unique perspective on female friendship.

Certified Copy (France and Italy): Abbas Kiarostami’s first feature outside his native Iran asks a simple question: Why do we value the original, when the copy can be just as good? And thus Juliette Binoche and William Shimmel play a game across one afternoon that tests this premise, leading us in an insightful drama where the emotional stakes are equaled by the philosophical stakes.

Bridesmaids: Hell Hath No Like a Woman Being Funny

Bridesmaids

Directed By: Paul Feig

Written By: Annie Mumolo and Kristin Wiig

Starring: Kristin Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, and Chris O’Dowd

Director of Photography: Robert D. Yeoman, Editors: William Kerr and Mike Sale, Production Designer: Jefferson Sage, Original Music: Michael Andrews

Rated: R for the foul mouth and disgusting humor usually prescribed to only men.

            Kristin Wiig has one of the strangest bodies in Hollywood, and I mean that in the most flattering way possible. Watching how she moves in her new film, Bridesmaids, is astonishing. She’s able to flex every muscle or make any new twist in ways no other comic actress in Hollywood really ever attempts, and all while staying in character as well. Match that with her ability to make noises from her mouth that I believe no other human can, and you’ve got a winning combination.

But the real question is can we also fall in love with Ms. Wiig? The actress who plays mostly crazy types on Saturday Night Live has her first debut as a leading star in Bridesmaids, a comedy written by her and Annie Mumolo, a friend from her time at the famous L.A. improv troupe Groundlings. Plus, with Knocked Up director Judd Apatow producing and Freaks & Geeks creator Paul Fieg directing, Bridesmaids is asking a very big question that Hollywood has neglected for quite some time: can women be funny too?