Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a comedy about two best friends Barb(Annie Mumolo) and Star(Kristen Wiig) who live in a small midwestern town, are laid off, and take a vacation to a small beach town in Florida.
Wiig is back to form here in a straight up comedy in this absurd, big, emotional character. It's refreshing to see her return to the genre and there's clearly so much joy and energy that radiants from the performance. Part of that has to do with Mumolo, her best friend and with whom she co-wrote the script. And as good as Wiig is Mumolo almost steals the film. She's quirky and dimensional, fierce and vulnerable, it's a wonderful rollercoaster of a performance, absolutely grounded in heart but that flits off and crescendos with bizarre relish. The supporting cast is all specifically strange(and effective) with Wiig in a double role as the heavy, Jamie Dornan as Edgar the love interest of both Barb and Star clearly delighting in no longer being in the languorous 50 Shades movies, and Damon Waynes Jr. as a laughable and overly particular 'spy' he also is clearly having a blast. And on and on with a variety of odd cameos.
The production is chock full of pastels, teased hair, and 90's dress. There is no brauvera camera movement or sequences but the sets, costumes, and score make up for the lack of POV with the cinematography. And maybe that's not necessary so brimming is every other aspect of the film with electricity, delight, with a full dose of the eccentric. On paper this may seem like a straightforward comedy but it's anything but.
A return for Wiig, a triumph for Mumolo, and an overall bona fide delight.
Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.
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