Next up on my weekly list of the Decade's Best Films, So Far (in all different genres) is Ashley Doherty with her picks for the Best Comedies since 2010. As my fiance and personal guest to almost every screening I receive with the Philadelphia Film Society, Ashley has seen more than her fair share of films. Therefore, I have given her the task of picking the best comedies that this latest decade has to offer. Here are Ashley's picks for the funniest films since 2010:
With all of this genre labeling
and categorizing movies, the comedy pool included some films that, in my
opinion, could have landed in the drama section as well. However, given what I
was told to work with, here are my favorite comedies of the last three and
one-third year.
Crazy Stupid Love was hilarious, heartfelt and an
all-around complete film. Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling combine for a unique
on-screen relationship that may not have worked out as well with a different group
of actors. Combining an excellent cast with a hysterical script (which even has
a shocking twist that I never saw coming!), Crazy
Stupid Love is a fantastic
comedy with a very high re-watch factor.
While I was forced to categorize last year's Academy Award
Nominee, Silver Linings
Playbook, as a comedy, I personal view the movie as more of a drama. That
being said, I couldn't exclude Silver
Linings Playbook from this
list because it's such a great movie. The lighthearted balance between Bradley
Cooper's character's mental illness and the craziness that ensues between him
and his love interest, Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook is a rare, outside-the-box romantic
comedy gem.
Cedar Rapids is a quirky little comedy that
caught me off guard and came out of nowhere. With tempered expectations, I was
thrilled to discover an onslaught of outrageous one-liners and constant jokes.
While the leading man is rarely the funniest character in a comedy, star Ed
Helms allows John C. Reilly to take charge and deliver a hysterical middle-aged
comedy that gets better every time you watch it. It's a lesser-known title, so
I suggest seeing Cedar Rapids once or twice and make sure you pay
close attention to Reilly's character. He never misses!
Another pleasant surprise that I ran into during the 2011
Philadelphia Film Festival was the hockey comedy, Goon, starring American Pie's own Seann
William Scott (aka Stiffler). Scott packs on the pounds and muscle mass to star
as a lovable meat-head bouncer who finds his niche in the world as an
inspirational hockey goon. Scott isn't the only source of laughs either. His cast of misfit teammates are sure to make you laugh, so pay close attention to
them all. Despite writer and co-star Jay Baruchel's annoying on-screen
presence, Goon still manages to stand out as one of
the great comedies of the decade.
In 2011, the hit comedy Bridesmaids swept across the nation and
generated a loyal fan-base of both women and men. What was being sold to the
general public as the female's version of The
Hangover, Bridesmaids managed to traverse the gender barrier
thanks in large part to a solid lead performance by Kristen Wiig. Proving she
could clearly carry a film on her own, the comedy was elevated even higher by a
stellar screenplay, a likable love interest (Chris O'Dowd is completely
underrated) and the off-the-wall Oscar-Nominated performance given by Melissa
McCarthy. Although the comedy's running time was a little too long for my full
approval, Bridesmaids was still a hilarious effort worthy of
making my list.
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