Abbie Bethell
Staff Writer
Melissa McCarthy has been Megan in Bridesmaids, Sookie St. James in Gilmore Girls, she’s starring as Dr. Sharon Mullins in this summer’s hot release The Heat (pun intended), but in this film, she plays Sandy Bigelow Patterson… or does she? No is the answer to that, this film is as you may gather from the title, about a woman (Diana – McCarthy) who takes advantage of a man with ‘a woman’s name’ (Sandy – Bateman) and steals his identity to buy herself (lots) of nice things – cars, boats, numerous vases and drink, lots and lots of drink – cue drunken breathalyser scene.
I approached this film with caution after I’d seen a lot of negative reviews from film critics, but thought I’d give it a try, seeing as I practically love everything McCarthy does (big Bridesmaids fan over here!). Boy, am I glad I trusted my instincts and decided to watch it! Here is why:
Good Points (What Worked):
There are a number of LOL moments, some I vaguely remember, and some I can’t forget. My favourite funny moment was during a ‘fight’ scene between Diana and Sandy, Diana is just badass (she proves this a number of times during the film), she punches Sandy in the throat which causes him to fall to the ground, there is a bit of a struggle and just as she thinks she is going to get away, he somehow manages to find a toaster and lobs it at her, causing her to fall to the ground quite hard – doesn’t sound as funny, but if you watch it, I’d say there’s a 95% chance you’ll laugh! The remaining 5% of you who don’t laugh, why not?!
It’s hard with these types of films to actually have compassion for a character, a lot of these slapstick, gross-out films generally just give you the laughs and that’s where it ends. However this film goes beyond that, you see character development for McCarthy’s character. You’re not meant to feel sorry for her, because she’s the one in the wrong, she doesn’t have the children, she just acts selfishly, but without having to verbally say a lot, you empathize with Diana. I don’t know why I doubted McCarthy, because her portrayal of a woman who has nothing and no one was spot on!
I’m not usually a fan of Jason Bateman’s previous work (watched The Change-Up and wasn’t too keen) however him and McCarthy really are a dynamic duo. Their characters seem to bounce off each other and throughout you really get a sense of a life-long friendship blossoming.
Again something I didn’t quite expect from what I thought was just another comedy; there were a
number
of ‘aww’ moments. Not necessarily enough to make someone cry, but enough to make those silly sounds you do when something sweet happens (it’s not just me that does that, is it?) The most memorable one was when Diana gets a makeover; the look on Sandy’s face when he sees her is just adorable, oh and I just remembered one near the end, but you can watch the film, then you’ll know what I’m on about!
Bad Points (What Didn’t Work):
As good as the film was, it felt like they could’ve cut 30 minutes and we’d be none the wiser, I’m not saying it’s a snooze fest, just some bits felt like they could’ve been quicker, a long scene in the hotel room for example.
I didn’t even know he was in it, but famous rapper T.I. starred in the film, but I’m not quite sure why? Even now after seeing the film. He and Genesis Rodriguez play two people trying to capture Diana, it’s poorly explained as to why, and their characters kind of seem pointless, their involvement in the film has no real purpose and no effect on the overall outcome.
Verdict:
4/5
Melissa McCarthy doesn’t fail to disappoint once again, she shines as Diana, a woman who deep down just wants to be wanted. Bateman as Sandy is surprisingly good in his role as the father-of-two hell-bent on catching this woman, who has stolen everything. Together they prove hilarious to watch; yes they could’ve made the film shorter by half an hour or so, but despite that and some of the pointless characters just thrown in to cause a disruption, the movie is definitely worth a watch, especially if you like films such as Due Date and Grown Ups.
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