Kristen Bell: Breakout Comedic Actress!

So I just saw the movie, "You Again", starring the gorgeous Kristen Bell as  Marni Oliva Olsen, Jamie Lee Curtis as Gail Olsen, Sigourney Weaver as Aunt Mona, (Ramona), Odette Yustman as Joanna, & Betty White as Grandma Bunny. 
Ok...I didn't have to see the previews to know that I wanted to see this movie as well as so many others Ive seen.  First off, I love Kristen Bell.  She is such a beatiful, talented & funny actress!  I have to say that she  really is a comedic actor by now.  We saw her in Forgetting Sarah Marshall with Jason Segal, Mila Kunis, & Russell Brand, which I think is a movie that a lot of people got to know her in.  Yes she was a guest star for the TV series Heroes, (which I never saw), for the 2nd season, & she's been in movies like Pulse as well, but Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I think we all took to her as this new hot actress that could hold her own in an high quality ensemble cast.  She played Sarah, (of course), who starred in a CSI/like type show that dumps her boyfriend of 5yrs, Peter, (Jason Segal), abruptly for Aldous Snow, (Russell Brand), the lead singer for the band, "Infant Sorrow." 

The whole rest of this movie is basically Peter trying to get over Sarah, by going to Hawaii for some R&R, but to his surprise, Sarah & Aldous are vacationing there as well, so you can imagine the trouble that ensues when all put together including the beautiful concierge, Rachel, (Mila Kunis), who helps Peter out in the beginning & feelings develop between them.  It's a great flick, & it's hilarious.  Jonah Hill also guest stars as an overly obsessive fan of Aldous & Paul Rudd cameos a bit as a stoner surfer "instructer." Now I love Mila Kunis as well and you can read more about her in my review of "Black Swan", but today we focus on Kristen.

She was also really great in the movie, "Couples Retreat", with an all star cast such as Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Jon Favreau, Jean Reno, & Faizon Love.  She played Cynthia, who is married to Jason, (Jason Batemen).  They are a completely neurotic couple whose marriage is hanging on by a thread.  They've tried many times to have a baby, & failed, so they decide to drag their friends on a retreat "paradise" vacation to a place called Eden West where couples stay together, as where the resort Eden East, is where all the single peeps are at.  The 4 couples decide to stay at Eden West and endure some "couple groups", to enjoy the rest of the activities. The only couple that really wants to participate in these couple skillbuilding activties are Cynthia & Jason, while the rest realize that this tropical pacakge isn't pliable, & each MUST partake in the the excersises, even if they don't need it.  But soon you'll see the faults in every couple while their taking these "classes" or "groups" & of course it creates chaos, really funny chaos! 

I think Kristen was one of the funniest actresses in this movie.  Actually she was def the funniest. 

So I started out talking about what an amazing job Kristen did in the recent flick, "You Again". 

Bell as Marni Olivia Olsen - initials MOO :)

Marni was a geek in high school.   She was bullied & tormeted everyday.  No guy would talk to her and she was the laugh of the school.  Her worst enemy was the head cheerleader, Joanna, (she kinda looks like Megan Fox a bit, but I haven't seen her acting in anything else), who tortured her to the point of no return, so to say. Yes back then, Marni was the epitamy if nerdiness, she had glasses, greasy hair & bangs, acne,...but no one deserves to be bullied like she was!  The mean girls and Joanna traumatized her for life! 

As she grew up, Marni lost the glasses, bangs & acne, plus she scored a great PR job that just promoted her to their New York offices.  She has confidence, she looks good, & u can tell she feels good.  I mean high school was in the past, right?  Wrong. 

So when she found out her arch nemisis was marrying her brother, Will, she freaked out.  And I mean freaked out!  This is why Kristen Bell was so funny in this movie, cuz you don't see her playing the insecure role as much.  She had to sit with airport security the whole flight home b/c she couldn't calm down.  Now that was a hilarious part of the movie, of many.   If only Joanna apologized to Marni on sight, b/c that's all Marni really wanted, was a sincere apology.  But then it wouldn't be a movie.  A movie with girl fights, manipulations, dancing & all that other good stuff we love to watch.  So Marni now wants to destroy the relationship between Joanna & Will, to protect her brother from the bully back in high school. 

Marni & Joanna hashing out old times. 

Now as all this is going on, Marni's mother, Gail, (Jamie Lee Curtis), is having the same exact problem with  her former friend from high school...(Joanna's Aunt Mona).  "Ramona?", Gail said when she saw who she was looking at.  And Aunt Mona, (Sigorney Weaver), looked damn good for her age and was set on showing that off to Gail. They even had Grandma Bunny's, (Betty White), former high school rival make an appearance at the end, just for shits and giggles.  Which, they succeeded! 

Here are the two showing up in the same dress, Gail obviously looks more insecure while Ramona is hamming it up for everyone.  See what high school does to some people? :)

So I spent the whole time laughing during this movie, from a funny little brother to the outrageous wedding planner, it's definitely a hit in my book.   And again, I can't say enough about Kristen Bell. 

Verdict: watch Kristen in all these movies!

By the way, if you want to watch Kristen's most popular TV series back in 2004, get the dvds of Veronica Mars @www.amazon.com.