McCarthy reigns in "The Heat"

Melissa McCarthy is quickly becoming a one-woman show. To tell the truth, the plot of her more recent film, The Heat, teeters on the edge of forgettable. It's pretty standard stuff, really. That is, if you're comparing it to other buddy-cop films: the awkward straight-and-narrow type meets the rough-around-the-edges type; they hate each other, but grow to respect their differences; and hilarity and action ensues. The Lethal Weapon series is a good template here. However, this film is vastly different from those films, and in a way, it's a lot more "real," or better yet, "believable"... kinda.

The Heat follows Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) and Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) as they investigate the operations of a Boston drug lord. As an FBI agent, Ashburn wants to take lead and work alone. After all, no one wants to work with her anyway because of her arrogance and awkward social skills. Mullins  also works mostly alone, but with her everyone is too scared to work with her. Even her captain makes disparages the effects his job have on his looks: "My kids call me 'Grandpa.'" Neither Ashburn and Mullins want to work together, but they are forced into the relationship due to extenuating circumstances, meaning "the plot." But enough of the plot, let's get down to the real meat of this review.

The main difference in this film, the most notable and obvious difference, is gender. How rare is it to see two women headlining an action comedy. Such things don't happen very often, yet The Heat proves that such things can happen, and they should. The Heat benefits from Bullock and McCarthy's unique charisma and chemistry. But it also benefits from a lack of herculean actions scenes. You know the kind. We've already seen tons of these scenes this summer. TONS. Take, for instance, Man of Steel, a film I actually enjoyed. Nevertheless, I grew frustrated with the level of destruction Metropolis suffered when gods fight. For a film involving superhuman strengths, this makes sense, sort of. However, this is pretty common in most action films today. The leading men of action films perform impossible tasks, regardless of the real-world effects on their bodies. McCarthy and Bullock, at least in this regard, feel more human, more vulnerable in this film, which raises the stakes whenever action scene is inevitable. The biggest action scene in this final, I would argue, involves a knife, just a knife. The result is priceless, and I found myself more involved than when I watched Superman and Zod tear apart metropolis. 

Action, however, is suitably pushed to the background. Instead, the film is a nonstop barrage of profanity, most of it coming from McCarthy, and it's hysterical. This is McCarthy's film, for the most part. She delivers lines without holding anything back. Mullins is a woman working in a male-dominated field and has to push for every single bit of recognition. Mullins, and Ashburn too, reminds us that in many fields, women have to work twice as hard as their male counterparts, if not more. However, profanity alone does not create a likable character. Here McCarthy is an expert. In all three of her hit films (Bridesmaids, Identity Theft, and The Heat), there are moments when her character reveals vulnerability, wisdom, and a lifetime of pain. McCarthy excels at this, and we love her all the more for that. Now, don't think when I say "vulnerable" I mean "weak." No, McCarthy's characters, so far, have been far short of weak. All have displayed a level of confidence that is admirable and attractive. Indeed, one running gag throughout this film involves Mullins running into past lovers. They have fallen in love; she has not. It's great.

Bullock, likewise, brings plenty of laughs, but not by trying to outdo her partner. No, Bullock is smarter than that and plays the "straight" in the relationship to perfection. Indeed, Bullock's best scene (in my humble opinion) is an early scene that beautifully captures the arrogance of her character. Upon arriving in Boston to begin her investigation, Ashburn orders the police captain to take her to a perp. Not wanting to give up any control in the situation, she blindly starts walking, without the slightest clue where she's going. In fact, she has to be told about four times, "Special Agent, this way."Bullock plays the scene wonderfully, just the way comedy should be played: with a straight face, unaware of the ridiculousness of the situation. 

McCarthy is on a role, and I hope it continues. Furthermore, I hope the suits at film studios realize that there is a market for female-driven films, outside of the rom-com bilge that populate the box office throughout the year. And McCarthy proves that she can steal scenes and headline an action film (I'd argue Identity Theft was her first action film). If The Heat is a taste of what could be in cinema, I can look to the future of movies and smile. Change is good.