Girl Most Likely (2012) Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. With Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, Matt Dillon and Darren Criss.
Co-directed by the husband and wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Girl Most Likely is a New York/New Jersey-set comedy-drama about Imogene (Wiig), a woman facing the crisis of moving back home with her mother (Bening) after losing her job and boyfriend.
Such is my admiration of Kristen Wiig, that I’ll literally watch anything with her name attached…even a Ghostbusters reboot (seriously, I’m brainlessly optimistic about that). It feels like acid in my mouth to say it, but she’s in the wrong film here. Her performance is fine (her usual on-the-brink-of-crazy shtick), and she’s responsible for keeping the film semi-afloat, but the script and story aren’t good enough to serve her talent, leaving her hopelessly adrift for chunks of the running time.
In terms of the script, it’s plain to see why Wiig would take the role. The character fits the sort of humour for which she has such a gift. The problem is that the film constructed around her is weak and utterly incidental, offering her very little to bounce off. Tonally, it seems to have one foot in the world of a sentimental indie rom-com, and the other in that of a slapstick farce. Some of the characters feel transplanted from other films. Wiig’s brother is a watered-down version of Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover, while Annette Bening channels a trashier version of Caroline Burnham from American Beauty. These things wouldn’t matter so much if the film wasn’t such a drag – but the reminders aren’t favourable.
With a talent like Wiig in its corner and a few flashes of quirky humour, Girl Most Likely is at best, fleetingly OK, but for the most part fails to muster any comedic or dramatic momentum, making it a frustrating experience. 2/5
too bad this was mostly a flop-I really like Wiig too! most recently I watched The Skeleton Twins with her and Bill Hader, and they were both fantastic in that.
anyways, nice review!
Thank you, Joel. I LOVED The Skeleton Twins too. Wiig and Hader really showed some acting chops. I was very disappointed with Girl Most Likely, mostly because I REALLY wanted to like it.
I know the feeling!
Alas, my suspicions are confirmed. : (
Yes, I echo your sad face. I saw the negative reviews and ploughed ahead regardless, such is my admiration for Wiig.