Comedy queen Melissa McCarthy has done it again. And by “it,” I mean create a sensational witty comedy for fans of side-splitting humor everywhere to enjoy.
Directed by McCarthy’s husband, Ben Falcone, and released on April 8, “The Boss” stars Melissa McCarthy in a career-defining role as — well — a boss. Rather than taking on her usual shabby persona from her other films (the likes of “Tammy” and Shannon Mullins of “The Heat”), McCarthy now steps into a more sophisticated and interesting role, while still remaining as funny as ever.
Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy), the 47th wealthiest woman in the word, has never had a real family; she’s too self-absorbed to deal with one. As she puts it, “Families are for suckers.” What she does have is money. After working her way to the top with business ventures and investment tricks, Michelle literally puts herself up on a pedestal. She spends her free time bossing around and degrading her personal assistant, Claire, played by Kristen Bell. That is, until she is arrested and convicted of insider trading and sentenced to five months in federal prison.
After being released, Michelle — following the loss of her entire estate — finds herself homeless and despised by all her former associates. She has no one to turn to except her former assistant, Claire, who reluctantly takes her in. While staying in their home, Michelle Darnell forms a friendship with Claire’s nine-year-old daughter and devises a new get-rich-quick scheme of building a brownie empire, Darnell’s Darlings.
Michelle (Melissa McCarthy) and Claire (Kristen Bell) expand their brownie business. (Contributed)
Every time McCarthy has released a new film in recent years, from “Identity Thief” to “Spy,” critics have raved that Melissa McCarthy is one of the funniest women in Hollywood or that she is paving the way for women in the entertainment industry. These are gross understatements. Not only is Melissa McCarthy one of the most hilarious women in Hollywood, she is one of the funniest people in movies altogether. Moreover, “The Boss,” which McCarthy also produced and co-wrote, raises the bar higher than she has ever gone before.
Rated R with a 99-minute runtime, “The Boss” co-stars Peter Dinklage, Ella Anderson, Kathy Bates, Tyler Labine and Cecily Strong. It has everything you could possibly ask for in a comedy, from clever one-liners to girl-scout street fights and an attack sofa-bed. Of course some of the jokes fall flat, as they will in any movie, but McCarthy more than makes up for that with her outlandish personality and perfect comedic timing. For the most part, “The Boss” goes above and beyond expectations.
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