First Take: The Boss- all hail Melissa McCarthy

SYPNOSIS: A titan of industry is sent to prison after she’s caught insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.

Melissa McCarthy has practically become Hollywood’s leading lady for comedy over the last 6 years or so- with Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy to her name, she definitely has a fine body of work so far, and she proves her worth once again in The Boss. 

It might not be as fine-tuned as her work with Paul Feig, but the film still shows off McCarthy’s trademark comedy style. The script is very good, passing the 6 laugh test very quickly, with the direction from Ben Falcone proving to be a lot more slick than his last film Tammy. Also, the performances from Kristen Bell and Peter Dinklage provide some memorable moments in this very much plot-driven film. However, the humour only hits certain audiences who are aware of the American references within the film, meaning that mainstream audiences simply won’t find any laugh out loud moments. 

THE VERDICT

For me, it might not be a true contender for Film of the Year, but it is a good film that delivers plenty of laughs, however, it is a little too predictable for UK audiences.

RATING: 4/5