Director/ Writer: Joe Swanberg
Starring: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron
Livingston, Jason Sudeikis
Synopsis: Kate (Wilde) and Luke (Johnson) work together at a small
brewery, drinking together most nights after work. One weekend the colleagues
and their significant others enjoy a weekend away where deeper feelings begin
to surface.
Without a script – running off a
vague plotline – the actors of Drinking
Buddies have proved how easy it is to underestimate some talent. Whereas
Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston have found themselves in many esteemed films,
Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson have (arguably) not. Johnson is recognised more
for his turn in New Girl, a
not-so-terrific sitcom, now hopefully forgotten with this gem.
It’s hard to sense the
improvisation, which becomes the film’s greatest asset – an unnoticeable sheen
on the performance. Not that the film requires much technique for a series of a
scenes drinking, laughing and romancing. Each actor knows the atmosphere and
activity well – as would most 20-40 year-olds – clearly delving into the
project with ease. Wilde, as the lead, is the only one who initially seems out
of place (as stunning as she is to be believed as a worker in a brewery),
quickly denouncing that thought with a rough-and-ready quality that appears
innate.
Johnson as her closest friend in
the film brings a charm and wit so perfectly fitting to the tone of the film,
and to the chemistry, that this will surely bring him a mass of new scripts.
Caught between the love of a friend, and a possible lust for said friend, he
develops his acting chops to constantly leave the audience and remaining characters
guessing about his true feelings. It adds tremendous drama and tenderness to
the film, with his cool bravado keeping the film on its toes.
Director Joe Swanberg has a
filmography of relatively unknown work, capable of making great films. His
style is subtle and distant – you can tell he’s letting things run their course
with his finger merely on the record button. However, it’s his control of the
narrative that highlights his potential as a great director. He leaves some
moments untreated and awkward, and others overdone and unremitting. As you
watch it you feel uncomfortable or cheated (in relation to how Hollywood
usually treats these stories), reviewing it at the end to see it as a carefully
structured film with the aim to get you pontificating.
The comedy is beyond genuine
(thanks to the improv), leaving a gigantic smile on your face when you feel it.
The drama can occasionally fall flat, as it’s expectedly harder to pull off without
a script. Nevertheless, on the whole Drinking
Buddies is another independent comedy/drama that will earn its stripes each
passing year.
Also posted on LiveForFilms
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