Second Opinion: Bridesmaids vs. Rush

The Second Opinion posts will feature the opposite view of my Flickchart Battle decision. Here, my former podcasting partner, Mike Sheehan attempts to explain why the movie I didn’t choose is the one he would’ve chose.

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Comedy vs. drama is always going to be a tough matchup. You’re stuck having to decide if something was so funny that it is worth picking over a drama.

Rush was a silent success this year, getting major critical acclaim, and for good reason. This movie took 2 sides of the story, James Hunt’s side and Niki Lauda’s side, and allows the viewer to decide which they liked better.  The main question is: what would you be willing to do to win? The film does an incredible job of leaving the decision up to the viewer, which I think is a testament to the writing and directing of the film. I was especially impressed with the cinematography that really made me feel like I was in the driver’s seat of a Formula One car, and made my heart pound with every lap of the races they showed.

On the other side, Bridesmaids was a loud success in 2011. It got major critical acclaim and also won a bunch of awards. Bridesmaids accomplished something not many other films have, it was a female lead comedy that was successful in the box office. The only other movie I can think of that could claim the same would be Sex and the City, but Bridesmaids brought in a lot more money and was even considered funny by men.  What I think made this film so good was that is was about friendship, something we all can relate to. Kristin Wiig really showed us she has acting chops, and along with a great ensemble cast, the film was able to make a mark in the pantheon of comedies to be remembered.

Both films were great. But alas I have to choose one and pick Bridesmaids for one simple reason. Rewatchability. This is a film you can watch over and over and over and it will still be hilarious. While I loved Rush, I don’t think I will ever watch it more than two times in my life.

Winner: Bridesmaids

This is why I picked Rush over Bridesmaids.

Flickchart Battle: Bridesmaids vs. Rush

This post contains spoilers.

Good golly, could these two films be any more different? Chicks with their weddings, bachelorette party, and maid of honor duties versus guys and their fast race cars, arrogance, and alcohol. But what both of these movies have going for them is that they’re both freaking awesome films. And more importantly, I really enjoyed them a lot.

One aspect that I can’t ignore while I try to decide which of them I like better is how my expectations were before seeing both films. Bridesmaids had that post-Hangover buzz about it, but who wouldn’t be excited about girls going wild? Plus I love Kristin Wiig, so Bridesmaids gets a few extra points for that. And the best part is that Bridesmaids didn’t disappoint. It was as funny as advertised and was able to fend off the Hangover comparisons because from start to finish, it’s the better movie of the two (that’s right! Bridesmaids > The Hangover. I’m in total Flickchart Battle mode now!).

Meanwhile, I’ll admit that I didn’t want to see Rush when I first heard about it. I couldn’t stop seeing Chris Hemsworth’s face on every poster and okay, a movie about racing is whatever. And Hemsworth is just a pretty face with long hair that I cannot vision without that hammer in his hand, so he does nothing for me. But while I had low expectations, Rush completely blew me away! I didn’t expect Ron Howard to have made one of the best films in his career, and how incredible Daniel Bruhl’s performance would be as Niki Lauda. I left the film completely happy that I went to go see Rush and couldn’t wait to recommend it to my friends. It was that kind of experience that doesn’t happen too often.

So which is more impressive? A movie like Bridesmaids with very high expectations and meets them, or a movie like Rush with low expectations but passes them with flying colors? It’s real tough to compare these two because of the different genres. Bridesmaids is a superb romantic comedy that uniquely appeals to women just as much as men. It’s funny, raunchy, and leaves you with a smile and some ever-lasting scenes you’re sure to be talking about with your friends for years to come. Rush is more close-minded and specific to its audience. It’s a biographical sports drama about Formula One racing. It doesn’t have a main character and it deals with some hard-hitting themes and morals that aren’t necessarily enjoyable.

So what’s my decision? You can’t ignore a film like Bridemaids because it was ground-breaking, showing girls can be tough around the edges and as vulgar as guys can be. The scene where Maya Rudolph takes a dump in the middle of the street while trying on her wedding gown is a hoot! Oh, and this was also the first time I saw Chris O’Dowd in anything, so that’s another plus. But Rush was able to over-power me with emotion and it was impressive how well-balanced the film was by the way they depicted the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. And as for memorable scenes, I think when the doctors stick that long metal vacuum down Lauda’s throat to clear away the burned lung tissue takes the cake. I still cringe when I think about that scene.

This is a tough choice, but my mind’s been made up.

Winner: Rush