Drinking Buddies tackles the subject of two things I have plenty of experience with: beer and the awkwardness of opposite sex friendships, that boarder on being a romantic relationship. The film, directed by Joe Swanberg, takes a look at what happens when two pairs of relationships become tangled after a weekend. Things change between all of them, and we’re forced to see how this changes not only their relationships, but also themselves as people.
Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) work together at a craft brewery located in Chicago. They act as best friends, but more so resemble a romantic couple, constantly flirting and spending all of their time together, usually with a cold one in their hands. Their relationship raises our eyebrows as we see that neither are single. Kate is dating an older man named Chris (Ron Livingston), while Luke is dating a special education teacher named Jill (Anna Kendrick).
Both couples spend a weekend together at Chris’ beach house, and things happen that will change all of their relationships, and it’s not quite as predictable as you may be thinking. I will give directer Joe Swanberg some credit on trying to give a fresh take on a romantic comedy. Almost all the dialogue is improvised, as he wanted the actors to find the characters themselves, creating a authentic natural tone that is much preferable to most of the bland scripts most rom-com’s are plagued with.
With an improvised script, a strong chemistry between the films stars is a must. Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson look and feel like an authentic couple, almost painfully so if you’ve ever been caught in these awkward friendships that have you questioning if there’s any romantic interest from the other end. Johnson is always likeable, and he gives a solid performance here next to Wilde who gives possibly the best performance of her career. Kendrick and Livingston are equally effective as their partners, playing nice foils to the relationship between Wilde and Johnson.
If you’ve ever been in one of these awkward friendships, some stuff in the film will be bound to remind you of them, and it may be painful. But that’s why the humor is there. The film has a wry sense of humor and plenty of laughs to keep things balanced and light. If your a fan of craft beer, your in luck as there are many great craft beer references and drinking sprinkled throughout the film.
I do commend Drinking Buddies on how together the film feels considering it was mostly all improvised. It takes some good actors and a skilled director to bring it out of them. I did however, feel like the film felt a little incomplete during its final 10 minutes or so, as you are waiting for something to happen and the film dances around it to the point where the ending leaves you wanting just a little bit more. It did let me down a bit, but it wasn’t enough to ruin Drinking Buddies for me, which was a refreshing take on romantic comedies that you should check out if you are tired of the same song and dance.
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