DRINKING BUDDIES – The Review

“It’s still the same old story…” states a classic tune that became the theme of a classic Hollywood romantic flick (that’s CASABLANCA for you “geek-lings”). Well this new flick expands on another story from a flick that’s not quite as old. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY from 1989 (really?) pondered whether men and women could remain good platonic pals without romance (you know, the love and the sex stuff) barging in. That answer (SPOILER ALERT!): nope. Not gonna’ happen. Uh uh. But is that still the case? A brand new flick examines two friends that are a bit younger than Billy and Meg, and a bit more “working class”. And instead of the “Big Apple”, they’re in the “Windy City”. But most unlike the earlier pair, these two are DRINKING BUDDIES, both off and on the job. Wha-?

You see, that’s because they both work at an independent brewery. One of those places that whips up their own beer label and sets up an eatery in sight of the big tanks and barrels. Luke (Jake Johnson) as one of the brewers, tends to those tanks, scrubbing and hosing them down, checking the temperatures, and so forth. Kate (Olivia Wilde) works in the office, setting up parties, shipping the beer to local outlets, and inviting folks over for tasting events. The two always have lunch together as they tease and joke. At quitting time they head over to a local pub with their co-workers for pool and darts, along with more drinking and laughter. But at the end of a rowdy night they go their separate ways. As the film opens, both are in serious relationships. Kate is dating the head of a small music label, Chris (Ron Livingston) who’s older and closer to an intellectual (he surprises her with somber books as gifts). Luke is living with Jill (Anna Kendrick) who’s a few years younger and working in education. The two are beginning to talk marriage. A couples weekend at Chris’s family lake front house leads to indiscretions, break-ups, and an apartment moving day which will test these relationships. So, after all this will Kate and Luke remain just buddies?

Here’s a great group of young actors who have been seen in many studio projects, but have not been able to showcase much more of their skills (more about that later) to great effect. Johnson, who may be best known for FOX-TV’s “New Girl” in addition to a few feature films (SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED) plays a looser version of his bartender “Girl” role. Luke has an endearing goofy charm punctuated by moments of tenderness. But we get a hint of his darker side perhaps spurred on by his conflicted feelings about the women in his life. He cares deeply about Kate, but is frustrated by many of her impetuous choices. Those choices may spring from her feelings about him. Wilde has often been typed by the studios as the glamour gal or the hero’s girlfriend in many recent movies. In this year’s maligned screen comedy THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (I was one of the few reviewers that got a kick out of it, so if it’s at the dollar DVD machine..) and this film she proves herself to be a delightful comic actress. Her Kate is almost one of the guys. She can easily join in on any bit of fun that occurs. It’s no wonder that Luke (and her co-workers) are always up for a game of pool and a beverage after they clock out. Then we are sideswiped by this good time gal’s pain. She can be easy on the eyes, but still tugs at our heartstrings. Livingston displays some of the hangdog charm that made OFFICE SPACE a cult hit. His Chris is too dry and subtle for the “joes” that hang with Kate. He has to buffer his sarcastic wit constantly with an “I’m kidding”. His somber demeanor never totally meshes with his often messy, goofy girlfriend. Kendrick as Jill also comes off a tad “brainier” than Luke, but we see her making a real effort to connect with him and his buds. She has some of the same sexy pixie-ish charm she projected in PITCH PERFECT and UP IN THE AIR tempered with a vulnerability as she is determined to make this union work. Horror director Ti West is very good as another brewery worker eager to know Kate while being an annoying thorn in Luke’s side. And then there’s SNL vet (and Wilde’s fiance) Jason Sudekis in a small funny role as the always distracted brewery owner. He wants to be liked by his employees, but there’s just too much on his mind. Luckily Kate’s in control (at least in her office).

Now what’s that skill I hinted about? Director/writer Joe Swanberg guided the actors through scenes that were mostly improvised. Mostly? Well, like the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (and the Chris Guest classics like BEST IN SHOW), the actors were given a basic outline for scenes. The outlines would include points that needed to be mentioned along with an ending that the actors would work toward. Happily the cast members were quick on their feet (and wits) and we don’t see them looking distracted while the wheels in their noggins were churning. Making  this improv test more impressive was the fact (mentioned by them in media interviews) that they were really imbibing. The set was an actual working Chicago brewery, so there was no tea or colored water consumed during scenes. That leads to one of the film’s few problems. Besides the wearing of sunglasses in the early hours, nobody seems to feel the ill effects (big time hangovers) of the late night bar crawls. Back to the improvising, this method has been utilized mostly for humor (and there are many funny moments), but it also inspires some great drama and gives the confrontational duets a real sense of urgency and danger. Fortunately Swanberg knows how to best capture the actions and when to be ruthless in the  editing room. The story feels concise and natural. And the plot moves in a realistic way and avoids the clichés of the big studio “rom-coms” . The “others”, Jill and Chris, ar not clowns or creeps who are delaying the final fadeout. Kudos to all involved for not going by the numbers and giving us a real challenging modern romance. Hmm, I think maybe I’ll get their next round!

4 Out of 5

DRINKING BUDDIES screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre