Rough girls, good laughs
Because this sounds a bit seen-it-allbefore (and you probably have), let’s give a big high-five to the sure hand of writer-director Lucia Aniello, the wit of her screenplay and her talent for casting. The ensemble is headed by Scarlett Johansson, and although she’s no Kristen Wiig in the comedy stakes, Ghostbusters’ Kate McKinnon certainly is and along with Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street), Zoe Kravitz and up-and-comer Ilana Glazer (Broad City), all the women have a distinct character and a very particular charm which almost makes you want to be one of the gang.
Special praise goes to McKinnon, whose Saturday Night Live chops are old news, but whose Australian accent is almost flawless and indisputably provides most of the laughs. (Ironically her accent only slips when she’s trying to convince the Americans she’s not a Kiwi: her explanation of the offence this causes is delightfully resonant.)
While it doesn’t quite have that spark of originality required to give it four stars or higher, Rough Night is certainly in the upper echelons of the ‘‘Girls Can Be Funny Too Without Having To Act Like Men’’ genre. No one loses control of a bowel movement, gay couples are portrayed without exploiting stereotypes and when men are objectified it’s really pretty respectful.
The film even awards a role to an older dame of Hollywood, the 54-yearold Demi Moore.
Aniello has worked her way through making TV and video shorts with frequent collaborators Glazer and cowriter Paul W Downs, who plays Jess’ hilariously straight-laced fiance. (Actually, a trivia buff could make a fascinating Venn diagram out of all the performers and their previous screen interactions. I’ll spare you.)
The fact that Rough Night is a highprofile comedy, written, directed by and starring women, is both a welcome success and a hopeful sign of things to come. – Sarah Watt