Drinking Buddies

Co-workers with chemistry test the friend-zone in this alt-cute look at relationships, buoyed by an engaging cast of fave alt-comedy faces.

What’s the deal?

Event organiser/one of the guys Kate (Olivia Wilde) works at a Chicago boutique micro-brewery alongside brewer/work bff Luke (Jake Johnson). Despite being flirty friends, both have existing partners - Luke is engaged to college sweetheart Jill (Anna Kendrick) and Kate’s been dating music producer Chris (Ron Livingstone). During a couples weekend away, the two pairs kind-of swap and slightly overstep boundaries, leading Chris to dump Kate and Jill to push Luke for a wedding date. Upon getting an ambiguous answer from Luke, she goes on holiday with friends – leaving the newly single Kate and Luke to get to know each other better. Dun dun dun!

It’s good!

For an indie, improvised mumblecore film about relationships, the pace is surprisingly quick. It’s a very real depiction of relationships, particularly how people can get different things out of different relationships, not to mention the ol' doubt over whether the partner you're with is 'the one'. At varying points during the movie you can see compatibilities between Luke and Kate, Luke and Jill and Jill and Chris (surprisingly, not so much between Kate and Chris, so…good move there, Chris). Additionally, it probes the morals and boundaries people uphold or discard in seemingly innocuous, but really quite complex, situations. A day where Luke helps Kate move apartments – wherein the attraction between them is never mentioned, but is shown through covert actions – becomes the unspoken emotional catharsis between the pair.

What’s wrong with you?

Honestly, I think this film just outlines every woman's worst nightmare (if you take Jill's perspective).

Neo-Maxi Zoom Dweeb-ery

I read a review of Drinking Buddies which mentioned the continued presence of alcohol throughout at the movie, showing how the alcohol blurred the emotions and decision-making ability of the characters. I would actually disagree – to me, the protagonists were always acutely aware of how they were feeling and why. Alcohol seemed to almost become a prop in the movie – something that was always there, merely a device to link scenes. You could argue that, potentially, the ongoing appearance of alcohol was almost disproving the generic excuse that actions stem from drunkenness. In this sense, alcohol was used in the movie to further bond relationships that previously existed.

Truth?

A worthy take on relationships in a nice side-step away from frothy rom-coms.

Bender Fist Pumps 3.5/5

#Comedy #Romance #Alt #VideoReleaseOnly