Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar

They say, write what you know. Yet there’s a wee bit of self-loathing in two middle-aged women lampooning middle-aged women. Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo wrote the hilarious classic Bridesmaids. I know the film is only ten years old, but I loved it — so it’s now a classic. They’re reunited here, starring as two single ladies in their 40s from the Midwest who decide to take a trip. They are a carefree but traditional pair decked out in a wardrobe of culottes and floral prints in Florida. There they become entangled in a lot of silly shenanigans.

Barb and Star have left their bubble of Soft Rock, Nebraska, for some fun and sun. They’re looking for a new lease on life after having just lost their jobs at the same couch store. The setup sounds rather quaint, but the developments are anything but. The story introduces an arch-villain incongruously named Sharon Gordon Fisherman (also played by Kristin Wiig in a dual role). Bullies teased her as a child for having pale skin. She’s mad at humanity, as most scoundrels are. Now she wants to unleash killer mosquitoes on the town to exact revenge.

This is a wacky comedy. Anyone trying to divine some logic here may be irritated by the plot. At first, I was a little confused by what I was watching because it’s all so random. After a while, I warmed up to the screenplay’s absurdist sensibility. Jaime Dornan plays the chief assistant to the evil Sharon. The suave and handsome Edgar is like a James Bond type. He’s inexplicably in love with Sharon despite the fact she clearly doesn’t feel the same. Head scratching idiosyncrasies like that are a fundamental component of the film.

The mood is bright and colorful and Barb and Star are charming characters. Their saga is also a musical. The radiant numbers employ high production values with amusing choreography. The lyrics are ridiculous, but they’re insanely catchy. When the ladies arrive at their accommodations, the hotel bursts into song with a vivid ditty welcoming them to the “Palm Vista Hotel.” A lounge singer named Richard Cheese (Mark Jonathan Davis) sings inappropriate songs (“I Love Boobies”). But the moment the picture won me over was during Jamie Dornan’s performance of “Edgar’s Prayer”, a soaring power ballad where he laments what he is doing. The inspiring lyrics include: “I’m going up a palm tree/Like a cat up a palm tree/Who’s decided to go up a palm tree.” I can’t justify my enthusiasm for the supremely nonsensical adventure. Yet I enjoyed the goofiness. Barb and Star invokes the vibe of a stoner comedy without actually being about smoking weed. These girls are high on life.

04-06-21

Mark’s money-saving tips: Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar debuted February 12 on what they call “premium” video on demand. That distinction meant you had to originally pay a “premium” price of $20. Hefty charge if you were TV watching solo that evening. However, the feature was released on April 6 on DVD which means you can now rent it at your local Redbox kiosk (yes they still exist) for $1.80. At that price, the movie is an excellent value.