Life of the Party

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SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

     Melissa McCarthy heads back to college in Life of the Party. The movie marks the third collaboration between McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone, the director and co-writer of all three. As talented a comedian as McCarthy is, her headlining acts have landed all over the map—from the relative highs of Spy (2015) or The Heat (2013) to the lows of say, Tammy (2014). Life of the Party operates somewhere in the middle. Filled to the brim with talent but suffering from mediocre writing, it makes for an agreeable but largely unmemorable experience.

     In Life of the Party, we meet Deanna Miles (McCarthy). After her husband unexpectedly asks for a divorce, Deanna decides to go back and finish her degree at the same university her daughter (Molly Gordon) attends. Deanna quickly immerses herself in the college experience: she gets involved with a sorority, dives into her coursework, and even goes to a few frat parties. But as Deanna soon learns, her carefree undergrad existence comes with some strings attached.

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     There’s an overabundance of talent in Life of the Party. McCarthy continues to be one of the most gifted comedians working onscreen right now, with a sharp instinct for timing and physical comedy. She provides the movie’s most hilarious moments, and it’s when the action drifts away from her that the movie starts to lag. Apart from McCarthy in the lead role, Life of the Party features several comedy veterans (Maya Rudolph and Chris Parnell) and some engaging performances from younger actors (Gillian Jacobs, Jessie Ennis), too.

     Yet despite having all the raw materials for success, Life of the Party is only intermittently effective. For one thing, the script allows for only the bare minimum plot/conflict/character development. I understand that these things will necessarily—and correctly—take the backseat in a movie which exists primarily as a medium for McCarthy to do her thing, but even the silliest of comedies needs some dramatic tension to sustain interest.

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     When it comes to humor, Life of the Party is sometimes hysterical, sometimes frustratingly stilted. The movie warms up once it lets McCarthy take center stage, but even there, Life of the Party can’t quite seal the deal. The comedic inconsistency is probably indicative of an overall creative issue: that the movie feels more like a great premise than a well-realized feature film. For someone like myself, the movie builds up enough momentum and goodwill to be forgiven for its lesser moments, but it’s easy to see how another viewer might lose interest… especially if that viewer isn’t a fan of McCarthy’s over-the-top style.

     FINAL VERDICT: Life of the Party isn’t a new comedy classic, but fans who enjoyed the trailer will probably find what they were looking for.

Watch the trailer here.

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