For a film called Life of the Party, this American comedy is somewhat lifeless. It stars Melissa McCarthy, who is likeable and funny but, like all comedic actors, needs a good script and a role that lets her display her talents. Unfortunately, this film is not quite it.

Directed and produced by her filmmaker/actor husband Ben Falcone, who Melissa McCarthy also co-wrote the script with, Life of the Party often feels too comfortable in its own skin and is as tasty as the most generic type of vanilla ice cream. The narrative takes no risks with a story that struggles to hold the audience’s interest outside of a certain demographic. More criminally, for a comedy, it’s just not as funny as it should have been.

The film is certainly a slow starter. I am not exaggerating: aside from a few minor chuckles I can’t recall anyone in the theatre letting out a real cackle during the first act.

The plot is the usual back-to-school-when-you-are-too-old-for-it fare. Here, the story is that lifelong stay-at-home-mom Deanna ‘Dee Rock’ Miles (Melissa McCarthy) is getting dumped by her husband Daniel ‘Dan’ Miles (Matt Walsh) in a move that’s something of a surprise to her. A nastier surprise is that it is for a fitter career-oriented woman, real estate agent Marcie Strong, who is played by the multiple award-winning television actresses, Julie Bowen.

For a comedy, Life of the Party is not as funny as it should be

In the midst of heartbreak, ritual post-divorce trash burning and nasty legal proceedings, Deanna brainstorms with her loose-cannon friend Christine Davenport (Maya Rudolph) as to what to do next with her life. Here, she realises that she never completed her education. It’s not a decision she regrets; after all it allowed her to focus on her daughter Maddie Miles (Molly Gordon). But now circumstances have given her the time to finish her degree.

In a moment where we the viewers feel that some life is about to be injected into Life of the Party, Deanna decides to enrol into the same college as her daughter. Of course, Maddie isn’t sold on the idea and we anticipate some serious friction between the two that, albeit a cliché, could make the narrative more engaging. But there really isn’t much of a clash. And that’s the problem with Life of the Party. It takes out many of the subgenre clichés but doesn’t spice it up with anything else.

Aside from becoming the fun-loving Dee Rock, Deena doesn’t display much character growth, face challenges (aside from a weirdly clingy boyfriend), experience relationship conflicts or set any goals for herself that make Life of the Party worth a visit to the theatre. Worse still, for a movie she wrote and her partner directed, Melissa McCarthy doesn’t give us as many chuckles as does the rest of the supporting cast. Sure, there is a good message about acceptance and never being too old to party or study, but it isn’t enough to make Life of the Party compelling.

Rated PG-13 for sexual material, drug content and partying

Published in Dawn, ICON, May 20th, 2018