Imogene Duncan has it all. An attractive boyfriend. Glamorous friends. Invites to swanky parties. Her life on the New York Upper East Side could be straight out of an episode of “Gossip Girl.”
That is, until her boyfriend dumps her, she gets evicted from her apartment, and a staged pseudo-suicide to win him back lands her in a place that looks more like an episode of “Jersey Shore.”
So goes the premise for “Girl Most Likely,” Kristen Wiig’s return to comedy after the hit “Bridesmaids” and her retirement from “Saturday Night Live.” It’s a spin on the classic fish-out-of-water tale, forcing Imogene to trade chandelier earrings and cocktails for sequined tank tops and glitter tattoos.
Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini do a great job of contrasting the two worlds, embracing both the renowned glamour of Manhattan’s wealthiest district and the quirkiness of Jersey, complete with Atlantic City and a flag hanging from Imogene’s childhood home promising, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”
The shore’s eccentricity is embodied in Annette Bening’s hilarious turn as Imogene’s mother, a gambling addict who would make her straight-laced helicopter mom in “The Kids Are All Right” squirm as she leaves a passed-out Imogene, fresh out of the hospital, in her backseat to hit up a casino. And Matt Dillon, as Bening’s secret operative boyfriend known only as “The Bosche,” somehow makes a ridiculous character both hilarious and charming.
But the real scene-stealer is theater thespian Christopher Fitzgerald as Imogene’s crab-obsessed introvert brother. His character arc is both the most emotional and least predictable of the film, a welcome reprieve from some of the film’s more predictable storylines and character development.
There are some hilarious moments in “Girl Most Likely,” the most noteworthy being a ’90s cover concert that let’s us see Darren Criss in full-out boy band gear, eyeliner and baggy white pants included. But too often the film seems to rely on Wiig’s signature quirk that made her an SNL favorite, in lieu of real emotional depth.
This can partially be blamed in the sometimes caricatured portrayals of both of Imogene’s contrasting worlds. This is especially true of Manhattan, which paints every socialite in Imogene’s circle of friends as vacant and superficial, a tired stereotype that too easily makes her the wronged hero.
Though it’s a film about foregoing impersonation and being true to yourself, at times it feels as if the characters are impersonations of the actors. Even with some hilarious one-liners, the film sacrifices depth for plot, including an awkward romantic storyline and a ridiculous ending that doesn’t take itself seriously.
“Girl Most Likely” is like the most recent seasons of “Saturday Night Live,” a mixed bag. Though there will be moments where you’ll groan or just won’t get it, there will also be those gems that make you laugh out loud and want to push rewind.
And Darren Criss singing Backstreet Boys will definitely be one of them.