Bad news abounds these days. You can't avoid it. It's everywhere. You can hide from it for a couple of hours though. Especially in the cinema. In the dark, absorbed with what's going on on the big screen, no temptation to look at your phone, here you can pretend for a while that the world isn't completely goosed. A good comedy is the best way to take your mind off shitty news. A good comedy with Melissa McCarthy is even better.
Life Of The Party is a comedy alright. But it's not a very good one.
Deandra has just dropped her daughter Maddie off for her final year of college. She's a protective mammy and even though Maddie is only 20 miles away from home Deandra is still a bit stressed. This stress is compounded when her husband Dan asks for a divorce seconds after they leave the college. The bastard. After a bout of self pity, Deandra decides to shake things up and go back to college to finish her degree which she walked away from 20 years earlier to start a family. The only problem is, she's going back to the same college as her daughter.
Melissa McCarthy is brilliant. She's a warm funny presence in everything I've seen her in. She has superb comic timing and she's not afraid to look silly onscreen. The last few years have seen her rocking in St Vincent, Ghostbusters, Spy, The Heat and Identity Thief. She's had a few bumps along the way too. Namely Tammy, The Boss and now this. All 3 films have been directed by her husband Ben Falcone. It might be time for him and her to keep their personal and working lives separate on the basis of these. Life Of The Party though. It has it's moments but mostly you'll just be watching through your fingers cringing and wishing it was over. It's a 100 minute film that feels too long whilst also feeling like whole lumps of plot and character development are missing, especially involving the supporting cast. McCarthy and Maya Rudolph aside a fine cast is wasted with the story giving great comedic actors like Gillian Jacobs and Stephen Root very little to do but make silly faces. Also despite being obviously set now it feels oddly dated (one cameo will have you checking to see what year it is) leaving you wondering was this an old script that's been dusted off to cash in on McCarthy's fame.
It's not all bad of course. There's plenty of heart here and the films depiction of a mother/daughter relationship is touching in places and goes in a few unexpected directions. Melissa McCarthy gives her all and saves some of it. Watching her character coming out of her shell and realising her life experience makes others look up to her is fun. And the fact that some campus men find her maturity very very alluring is mined for some comedic gold (a storyline that would be ultra creepy if gender roles were reversed btw). Two McCarthy fronted set pieces will also stick in your memory too. One set to the sounds of the 80's and one brilliant piece of physical comedy that will resonate with anyone who suffers from a fear of public speaking. Maya Rudolph as Deandra's friend Christine is hilarious too. She's not in it much but she steals every scene she appears in.
It's annoying. Two veteran comic actors are on fire in this and nothing around them can compare. You get the sense the writers got lazy and assumed they alone would keep the film afloat and help the audience overlook some pretty glaring flaws. It doesn't work though. Modern audiences need a bit more than that. We'll laugh along but we'll also notice that things that don't work. I mentioned Gillian Jacobs earlier. She was great in the TV shows Community and Love and deserves better than her role here. An entire film could be made about her character and background but here she's just around to meet the film's quirkiness quota. The odd decision to make this film family friendly doesn't work in its favour either. It all feels very very tame and bloodless. There's no need for American Pie style gross out comedy in this but a more adult rating could have pushed it to a funnier place.
A big disappointment and a waste of a superb leading lady's talent. A couple of very funny moments can't save it.
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