The Boss

There are a lot of great comedians out there. If there is something i enjoy, it is to check out comedians live on stage. Especially new talents, who surprise you, and deliver on stage. Some comedians manage to do both stand up comedy, and also make comedy films. There are a lot of examples of comedians, who managed to make their way to the screen. One legendary duo that proved this was Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Their films Silver Streak, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil, proved that they had the right chemistry to make comedies. Another example is David Spade and Chris Farley, who made the funny 90´s classic Tommy Boy. To make a good comedy, you need a cast who knows what they are doing. You need actors who can make awkward situations, and there is one film that i still really enjoy. Observe And Report, is a really funny awkward comedy with Seth Rogen, doing one of his best lead actor performances. The story of a shopping mall security officer, who wants to be a policeman, is a great choice if you wish to have a good time. One comedy that surprised me, where i had no high expectations, is the film Bridesmaids. The story of a group of women, going to celebrate a bachelor party in Las Vegas was both crazy, vulgar, and very funny. You never really knew what was going to happen, and that is the way to make a great comedy. The cast had some really funny performances, but there was one actor who stood out, for being so loud. I am talking about Melissa McCarthy, this generation´s new John Candy, but with bigger balls than most men. In almost all of her films, she knows how to pick different characters, and to make them in her own way. Not all of her films may have been good, but i did enjoy her performance in The Heat and in Spy. Melissa seems to enjoy herself, and you can tell by listening to her in interviews. Since she is a superstar in Hollywood, and all over the world, it must be hard to pick scripts. Because she probably knows most people want to see her in comedies. When i heard that her new film The Boss was coming out, i did not know what to expect. I came across a few early reviews, and they were very mixed. Since i want to see every film with an open mind, i was hoping that The Boss would be a unexpected funny comedy. Is this the best film we have seen Melissa McCarthy do since Bridesmaids, or is this closer to the same low level as Tammy was ?

Michelle Darnell ( Melissa McCarthy ) is one of the worlds most rich women. She does not care what anyone thinks of her, all she wants is to make more money and be number 1 in all situations. Suddenly, her life falls apart. She is arrested for insider trading. She is forced to go to jail. As the days comes, when she will be released, she is hoping that her ordinary luxury life will be back to normal. Everything she owned is gone, and so are all people who were around her. Michelle is forced to try and find a new home, so she goes to one of her former employees Claire ( Kristen Bell ). Claire is not happy about Michelle showing up, considering that she behaved very bad towards everyone, including Claire. But Claire´s daughter Rachel ( Ella Anderson ) convince her mother, to let Michelle stay with them for a while. Claire approves, but only until Michelle finds a way to get back on her feet. As Michelle become a closer friend to Claire and Rachel, she realise that she might have an idea. Since Claire can bake the best brownies ever, she comes up with the idea, to start a brownie company with Claire as her partner. She plans to show everyone that she can do a comeback, but can she be accepted again, in a world that tries to forget her ?

There is no doubt that Melissa McCarthy knows how to be funny, and we have seen her deliver in Bridesmaids, Spy and The Heat. Including in the comedy tv series Mike & Molly of course. Then we have films like Tammy, where she tries to be funny, but fails to deliver on the same level. The Boss is a comedy that have 2 different sides. There is a story of an egoistic boss who don´t care about anyone, or anything. The other story is about a woman who had it all, loose everything, and have to find a way back to reality. It all connects eventually, as the film goes on. In the beginning of this film, i found myself not laughing, not enjoying myself at all. As the film changes the tone, and become more of a mix of an Adam Sandler film, and use other elements, we have a different film in our hands. From the awful beginning, The Boss eventually become a bit better. But does this mean that this is a great comedy ? Not really, it is a pretty simple comedy, and we have seen this formula before. I personally think that Eddie Murphy´s comedy Coming To America is more fun, making fun of rich people and poor people. One of the highlights is of course the scene where singer Randy Watson goes on stage, with his Sexual Chocolate band, that´s a classic. Melissa McCarthy is funny in some scenes, the problem with the film is that too many comedy chlichés are used, that we have seen before. You can use material from classic films, but if you do, make sure to do it in an unexpected way. I do enjoy one performance especially though, the brownie sales girl Chrystal, played by Eva Peterson. She is funny, and should have had a much bigger part in this film. I also enjoy the performance of Peter Dinklage, as the seductive Renault. Director Ben Falcone, have worked with Melissa McCarthy before, since he directed Tammy. The good news is that he have done better this time, and The Boss is not completely bad. If he could have just avoid the typical clichés, and done some crazy turns with Melissa, we would be laughing more. The Boss is not anything you will remember, or recommend to friends. But if you just want to laugh at Melissa McCarthy making a fool of herself, you might find some funny moments here. I suggest you watch Bridesmaids instead, this is where Melissa proved her comedy talent.

Rating: DD