life of the party

Recently on a plane (more about that soon) I had the pleasure of watching the 2018 Melissa McCarthy/Ben Falcone film Life of the Party, a 'college comedy' in which McCarthy plays a mother, in the process of becoming divorced from the most unlikeable nonviolent husband ever (it is made clear that we are not to care about this at all, in the first few minutes) decides to go back to college and finish her 'archeology degree'. 

I have zero beef with Melissa McCarthy, I think she can really make any tosh seem amusing if not hilarious (sometimes it can be hilarious if it's the right material). She's got that perfect mix of warmth and knowingness - knowing even if the character she's playing is a know-nothing - which suits light comedy pretty nicely. 

The film sidesteps a lot of the easy go-tos. For instance, that McCarthy's character Deanna's presence at university might cause friction with her daughter Maddie. Well, it sort of does very briefly, but then it works out pretty fast, and it's not a major element. That Deanna has a relationship with one of the teen-plus college boys happens, and I wouldn't say it is handled tastefully, but it doesn't go in the ways you'd imagine. That said, while the film does get into (light) drugs and sex, its heart and soul could have been a college comedy of the 1930s as much as the 20teens. It's interesting like that. 

Another way it's interesting is that it arguably wastes so many talented people along the way, probably because it's a Melissa McCarthy film and she's the one audiences are here to see. Presumably McCarthy and Falcone can reasonably surmise that they can afford to bring in the best of the best as supporting cast even if they're in rather dumpy roles, and it won't be to the detriment of the up-and-comers who are in there because apart from anything else they can very legitimately say they were in a huge box office hit and didn't embarrass themselves. So, actors like Heidi Gardner (Leonor), Maya Rudolph (Christine) and Gillian Jacobs (Helen) really don't get enough screen time but maybe it's good to leave everyone wanting more. Molly Gordon as Maddie doesn't really get to do anything funny, which is a shame. Amazing, as it always is when you have this in an American movie of the last 15 years, so see Jacki Weaver in a minor-ish (let's say: small but crucial) role as well. 

So you know I was on a plane and really grasping at what movie to watch and started a few and none of them really worked for me but this was the one I watched all the way through so kudos to all involved. 

Oh, one thing I have seen enough of: that trope of the packed, early C20 lecture theatre. No-one goes to lectures anymore and when they do, it's not in places like that. Oh well.