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Thats not a knock on the performance, which is great and deservedly earning her Oscar talk.
Almost without fail, McCarthy plays the biggest personality in the room whenever shes onscreen.
Its a dramatic turn from a funny woman and will no doubt be praised as a huge departure.
Except, in the ways that matter most, it isnt.
August had worked with McCarthy before.
Shed starred in his 1998 short film God and inGo, which he scripted.
Its a skill thats helped keep even questionable movies from falling apart.
Though all have been financially successful, none have been particularly well-received.
But even if they dont fully work, theyre often more compelling than theyre given credit for.
She sinks into the character.
Yet, through it all, McCarthy makes her feel understandable, if never particularly likable.
Thats in part because Lee doesnt care if shes liked.
Theres a tragicomic quality to Lees commitment to misanthropy, and a weird kind of honor to her remorselessness.
What makes Lee difficult and scary is also what makes her who she is.
Shes, in other words, a Melissa McCarthy character.
Its only the surroundings that have changed, not the actress.
