Drinking Buddies
I blind-bought “Drinking Buddies” last month, mainly because the price was very right. Well, the fact that Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde are in it don’t hurt, either, but seriously, the price (for Blu-Ray, no less) was perfect.
The film was well worth it. It tells the story of four people, two couples, and how their long-term relationships with one another evolve. The film is written, edited, and directed by Joe Swanberg; it’s the first of his I’ve seen, and won’t be the last, to be sure.
The film starts by introducing us to Luke (Jake Johnson) and Kate (Wilde), who work at a micro-brewery– he is one of the brewers, and she is one of the people responsible for getting the beer into people’s hands. They have a great rapport with one another, laughing and flirting and having friendly fun together. They seem like boyfriend and girlfriend, and they are…to other people. Luke has Jill (Kendrick), a teacher, and Kate has Chris (Ron Livingston), a music producer. All four are wonderful people, but when they’re together, things start happening, and even though the respective couples have long-term plans, fate seems to be pulling them in a different direction.
What Swanberg is doing is putting these four under a microscope, and putting them in situations where they have to gut check themselves, and see how they really feel about their relationships. Chris is the first to go, after a weekend between the couples leads to some kissing with Jill. Jill stays with Luke, though, so that when Kate and Chris split up, we start to see the seams come loose. Relationships can be difficult, and stressful, and uncertain at times, and that can especially be true if we’re not sure we’re in the right one. All four people in this movie are going through tough times in their love lives, trying to figure out what’s right for them. It’s so clear Swanberg understands what they’re going through, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has gone through a similar time in his own life.
The actors are the final piece of the puzzle in bringing real authenticity to “Drinking Buddies,” and all four of them shine. Livingston has the smallest role, but he brings a particular energy and understanding to life to it that resonates even when he’s off-screen. Kendrick is the most vulnerable as Jill, and she brings her effortless charm and wit to this role of a young woman who is still trying to figure herself out, and even though she talks about marriage with Luke, you can tell there’s hesitation there. The standouts, though, are Wilde and Johnson, who have amazing chemistry together, and give wonderful, rounded performances. How much chemistry? They feel like a couple from the get go, so much so that it’s almost a surprise to see them go home to Chris and Jill, respectively, near the start of the film. That’s part of the point, though, because the film’s 90 minutes is all about Luke and Kate realizing how perfect they are together. At least, that’s what I thought until the last 15-20 minutes, where the direction of the story takes an unexpected turn, one that Wilde, Johnson, and Kendrick play honestly, and see through to it’s very real consequences. The result is one of the most surprising, engaging, and rewarding movies of 2013. Well worth taking a chance on.
