With one act of using a sink as an impromptu toilet, Melissa McCarthy proved to be the break out star of Bridesmaids, her over the top, prof...
With one act of using a sink as an impromptu toilet, Melissa McCarthy proved to be the break out star of Bridesmaids, her over the top, profanity ridden schtick proving to be a massive draw with audiences, one that propelled her to lead roles in Identity Thief and The Heat. It's a routine that has served her well, and one which she employs again as the lead role in Tammy, a movie she co-wrote with husband, and director, Ben Falcone. For the most part, it is McCarthy doing what she does best, but there is also some heart hidden between the f-bombs and down right despicable behavior.
Tammy, a slob stuck in a dead end fast food job, is having a very bad day. She has totalled her car, lost her job and husband, and her attempts to leave town and start a new life sees her saddled with her alcoholic grandma Pearl (Susan Sarandon), who wants to take a trip to Niagara Falls. But on this ill planned road trip, Tammy realises she has to make some changes and get her life in order.
Wasting no time getting the set up out of the way, Tammy is at its weakest in the opening act. McCarthy is at her loud mouthed best, but she has no one to really bounce off, much of the supporting players drowned out by her constant stream of swearing and pratfalls. From these opening scenes, it does feel she is putting too much into the role, Tammy initially coming off more annoying than likable. But once the road trip kicks off, and Sarandon is there for her to bounce off, she slows down and settles into the role, showing a lot of charm underneath all that energy. The relationship between Pearl and Tammy is what drives the movie, and there is a nice bite to it, mainly from the very un-grandmotherly Pearl, that keeps it from getting too over sentimental. They keep the movie going when it starts to slow down, their banter raising the odd chuckle, and they make the more dramatic elements of the story work for the most part. The dramatic beats feel at odds with the rest of the movie at times, slotting in oddly between the scenes played purely for laughs. It also gets a bit heavy handed at times, especially when it hammers home that Pearl's alcoholism is the major problem in both their lives, but when it allows the actors to shine, it works beautifully. The movie is by far at it's best when it focuses on the comedy, especially Tammy's ill fated foray into 'armed' robbery.
As I've said, it takes time for McCarthy to settle into her role, but when she does, she elevates it slightly from her other roles, which at this stage seem like carbon copies of each other. She brings a much needed sweetness to the foulmouthed Tammy, and can deliver the emotion when the need arises. Pearl could have easily fallen into the trap of well worn "misbehaving elderly" cliches, but Sarandon saves it from going over the edge, with a performance that is weet and tragic at the same time. The rest of the cast don't make much of an impact, with Allison Janney, Toni Collette, and Dan Aykroyd, being especially wasted.
Tammy does struggle with juggling the dramatic and comedic elements of its story, and while McCarthy may be recycling her characters, it is still a sweet and funny road trip movie.
Tammy, a slob stuck in a dead end fast food job, is having a very bad day. She has totalled her car, lost her job and husband, and her attempts to leave town and start a new life sees her saddled with her alcoholic grandma Pearl (Susan Sarandon), who wants to take a trip to Niagara Falls. But on this ill planned road trip, Tammy realises she has to make some changes and get her life in order.
Wasting no time getting the set up out of the way, Tammy is at its weakest in the opening act. McCarthy is at her loud mouthed best, but she has no one to really bounce off, much of the supporting players drowned out by her constant stream of swearing and pratfalls. From these opening scenes, it does feel she is putting too much into the role, Tammy initially coming off more annoying than likable. But once the road trip kicks off, and Sarandon is there for her to bounce off, she slows down and settles into the role, showing a lot of charm underneath all that energy. The relationship between Pearl and Tammy is what drives the movie, and there is a nice bite to it, mainly from the very un-grandmotherly Pearl, that keeps it from getting too over sentimental. They keep the movie going when it starts to slow down, their banter raising the odd chuckle, and they make the more dramatic elements of the story work for the most part. The dramatic beats feel at odds with the rest of the movie at times, slotting in oddly between the scenes played purely for laughs. It also gets a bit heavy handed at times, especially when it hammers home that Pearl's alcoholism is the major problem in both their lives, but when it allows the actors to shine, it works beautifully. The movie is by far at it's best when it focuses on the comedy, especially Tammy's ill fated foray into 'armed' robbery.
As I've said, it takes time for McCarthy to settle into her role, but when she does, she elevates it slightly from her other roles, which at this stage seem like carbon copies of each other. She brings a much needed sweetness to the foulmouthed Tammy, and can deliver the emotion when the need arises. Pearl could have easily fallen into the trap of well worn "misbehaving elderly" cliches, but Sarandon saves it from going over the edge, with a performance that is weet and tragic at the same time. The rest of the cast don't make much of an impact, with Allison Janney, Toni Collette, and Dan Aykroyd, being especially wasted.
Tammy does struggle with juggling the dramatic and comedic elements of its story, and while McCarthy may be recycling her characters, it is still a sweet and funny road trip movie.
