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Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021)

Started by Small Man Big Horse, April 17, 2021, 06:09:50 PM

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Small Man Big Horse

I didn't have high hopes for this as though I love Kristin Wiig in a lot of things I didn't think Bridesmaids was all that, and this is written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo who also wrote that movie. But a friend recommended it so I gave it a shot recently, and really loved it. It's an odd old beast in some ways (at least compared to Bridesmaids) and I think best watched without knowing anything about it, so I've put the plot description in spoiler tags even though it doesn't really give away that much.

Spoiler alert
A Bond-esque supervillain (Wiig) has created killer mosquitos and plans to unleash them on the small town that made her childhood miserable. But best friends Barb (Mumolo) and Star (Wiig again) are holidaying in said town, and after Star falls for the supervillain's henchman, Edgar (Jamie Dornan, who's surprisingly great), life becomes increasingly unpredictable for all involved. It's a wacky, silly, delightful concoction, the most fun I've had with a new comedy in years, it doesn't run out of steam and the central friendship is beyond sweet,
[close]
all adding up to a film I loved a lot. 8.4/10

Avril Lavigne

I really like Bridesmaids & Kristin Wiig so I went into this with a lot of goodwill, but I just didn't get what it was going for and quit about halfway through to do something else, then forgot all about it til I saw this thread. I didn't hate it though, but I read some of the positive reviews and one reviewer said you're either on the movie's particular wavelength or not and I guess that's what it boils down to, in the same way that I never 'got' Anchorman from the same production company (or parent company at least). I'll finish it this weekend and then see where I'm at.

Jerzy Bondov

Hey man good to see you posting again. I have nothing to add.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Avril Lavigne on April 17, 2021, 07:31:53 PM
I really like Bridesmaids & Kristin Wiig so I went into this with a lot of goodwill, but I just didn't get what it was going for and quit about halfway through to do something else, then forgot all about it til I saw this thread. I didn't hate it though, but I read some of the positive reviews and one reviewer said you're either on the movie's particular wavelength or not and I guess that's what it boils down to, in the same way that I never 'got' Anchorman from the same production company (or parent company at least). I'll finish it this weekend and then see where I'm at.

It's definitely an acquired taste and I could understand why some wouldn't click with it, the wavelength description is spot on, but I found the central friendship between the two leads really appealing, and the bright and warm colours soothed my battered soul!

Quote from: Jerzy Bondov on April 17, 2021, 09:04:28 PM
Hey man good to see you posting again. I have nothing to add.

Thank you, that's very kind of you to say.

dissolute ocelot

I thought this was very funny. It's a particular kind of humour, very silly, goodnatured, good songs without being a musical, and the references are much more 40something women-centric, even compared to the oeuvre of say Melissa McCarthy. The plot is very much not original (two naive people get accidentally involved in something much bigger and stranger): it reminded me of slacker comedies like Beavis & Butthead Do America, Harold and Kumar, Dude Where's My Car, etc, except it's about sugary cocktails not marijuana.

The cast is strong too. Wiig (in a dual role) is much better here than in WW84; Mark Jonathan Davis is very funny as the hotel pianist/singer; Dornan is surprisingly good (despite me initially thinking he was Adam Scott); and nice to see Phyllis Smith from the Office pop up briefly. And despite the director basically being a TV sitcom guy, it is surprisingly good visually and very well designed.

phantom_power

Vanessa Bayer is criminally under-used. Isn't the lounge pianist Richard Cheese?

olliebean

Quote from: phantom_power on April 26, 2021, 09:13:51 AM
Vanessa Bayer is criminally under-used. Isn't the lounge pianist Richard Cheese?

Yes, playing himself. (He's introduced as Richard Cheese in the film.)