“Conventional,” or some equivalent, is the descriptor I’ve seen most commonly applied to this film. While that’s certainly not wrong from a comedic structure standpoint, there’s still an evident freshness in the perspective of the script – the comedic structure itself is then bolstered even as Kaling works within the genre’s boundaries. She makes it very clear what dynamics and issues she’s playing off of and what her priorities are, and there’s plenty of effective comedy that springs forth as a result. There are a number of threads that don’t wind up adding much to the film, but Thompson and Kaling are both wonderfully charming and bring so much energy to the film even in its weaker moments. Yeah it’s a mainstream crowdpleaser. It also has an undeniable point of view that I want to see more of.
GRADE: B+
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