Melissa McCarthy continues to prove she is “The Boss” of comedy.
Chicago’s own McCarthy earned her breakout roll in the beloved TV show “Gilmore Girls” as the lovable chef, Sookie St. James. After the show ended in 2007, McCarthy transitioned into film with her hilarious performance in “Bridesmaids.”
Her momentum since hasn’t stopped. She has been recently cast as the lead role in major films such as “The Heat,” “Identity Thief,” “Tammy” and “Spy.” McCarthy gives her strongest comedic performance yet in “The Boss.”
“The Boss” stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Ella Anderson, Kathy Bates, Tyler Labine and Cecily Strong.
The film was directed, written and produced by McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone. The two have also produced, directed, and acted together in the movie “Tammy.”
In “The Boss,” Melissa McCarthy takes on the persona of multimillionaire corporate fortune-maker, and “47th richest woman in America,” Michelle Darnell.
Growing up as a transient orphan tossed from family to family, Michelle is determined to achieve great success on her own.
The plot revolves around her love/hate relationship with her competition Renault, played by Peter Dinklage, whom she betrayed in a business deal 25 years prior.
He seeks his revenge by setting her up to be arrested for insider trading, where she is sentenced to five months in a luxury detention center, similar to Martha Stewart’s real life fall from grace.
While in prison, all of her assets are seized and she is left homeless and alone. She begs to move in with her loyal assistant Claire (Kristin Bell) and Claire’s young daughter, Rachel, (Ella Anderson) in their small apartment.
Forced to help out one day by taking Rachel to her Dandelion’s meeting, aka “Girl Scouts,” she realizes that there is a great deal of money in cookie sales. She decides to use her business savvy skills to create her own troop called, Darnell’s Darlings, and recruits a group of young miscreants to sell Claire’s irresistible homemade brownies door to door.
As the brownie empire grows, the drama of the friendship/partnership and family bonding becomes more than Michelle can handle.
This movie plays to a female audience, as its central theme is family and female empowerment. McCarthy pushes the boundaries of female stereotypes in America by creating a character with the ability to deliver sharp witty dialogue, while simultaneously tossing around every swear word in the book.
McCarthy is referred as “the queen of physical comedy” for her dramatic falls and transformations with each role she takes on.
“The Boss” includes McCarthy donning chin-high turtleneck shirts, bold red hair and lipstick. Yet there is always an underlying vulnerability in her characters.
Bottom line, if you were a fan of “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989) like I am, you will not be disappointed.
And if you’re like me and appreciate an escape to your bad ass side for an hour and a half, you will enjoy “The Boss.”
