The Heat (2013)

The Heat (2013)

"The Heat" is hysterical. Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy are awesome! "The Heat" is the funniest movie of the year. I laughed out loud a lot. Yes, Sandra and Melissa reliably play in position. Bullock is Sarah Ashburn, the rigid; know it all, FBI agent booking for an Agency promotion. But as current boss Hale (patient and dashing Demian Bichir) explains her downside, "Nobody likes you." Melissa McCarthy is abrasive, no nonsense Boston Cop Mullins, who can beat the crap out of any man. She torments her Captain Woods (prematurely aged funny Tom Wilson), looking for his "lady balls" in his office.

While wallowing in their sorrows at Mullin's favorite bar, Ashburn (Bullock) confesses to Mullins (McCarthy) that not a lot of people know that she was married. With Scotch in hand, Mullins asks, "Was he a hearing man?" Director Paul Feig ("Bridesmaids") is genius with niche R-rated comedy starring women, and is blessed with Bullock and McCarthy's A-Games. Writer Katie Dippold (of "Parks and Recreation") is brilliant given a very predictable movie scenario. Will Ashburn and Mullins become BFFs? Of course. Dippold's comic Zen lies in the journey. "The Heat" is more than just "Lethal Weapon" meets "The Hangover". There is a signature moment in diner where Bullock attempts to save a choking man. Feig is comically ruthless. Bullock and McCarthy never waver out of character as their partnership naturally evolves—they are amazing.

I don't know if Feig and Dippold transform the cop buddy genera, regardless it is hilarious. The coarse language works. Seeing Bullock's Ashburn struggle to say the f-word is anal retentive priceless. Smartly "The Heat" is more comedy and relationship focused, than action. Although, the knife scene with Ashburn and Mullins held hostage is absolutely hysterical. The rangy odd couple joins forces in Boston to uncover the identity of mysterious Drug Lord, Lassen. For the first hour of the movie, Bullock may be trying too hard to be unlikable as Ashburn. She did it better in "The Proposal". On the other hand, McCarthy is like a comfortable catcher's mitt as Mullins. It turns out that Mullins is estranged from her family, because she put her brother Jason (hilarious Michael Rapaport) in jail. Jane Curtain is classic funny as disapproving Mom. Jason may have ties to the mysterious Lassen.

Sandra Bullock looks stunning, lean and strong. Granted she does her frumpy best as Ashburn, "straight man" to McCarthy's Mullins. Pants suits can do only so much. The one thing that is odd about the story is that Bullock comes off so stiff, that we forget that she is extremely competent at what she does. Like McCarthy's Mullins, she is smart, but the story finally circles back and reminds that both can kick some ass as well. McCarthy is brilliant balancing authentic compassion in the midst of what could have been a broad strokes caricature. She is hysterical and whimsically grounded. Together Bullock and McCarthy are on fire chemistry. Too bad Marlon Wayans is not leveraged more as Levy, Ashburn's "awkward" and endearing love interest. He is very cool. Perhaps, next time. Let's see Bullock and McCarthy together again. Bring on "The Heat 2". In the meantime, see "The Heat". You'll laugh a whole lot.