Drinking Buddies Review

*Promotional Poster for the motion picture 'Drinking Buddies'*

So it seems that cinema in a traditional sense is all but dead, as many film that come out today harken back to ancient standards in film if merely for their artistic merit and modest budgets, yet completely dependent on the new digital frontier that the movie industry sees slowly taking over it's entertainment medium. Drinking Buddies is a primary example of a movie made with little money on a big playing field, and utilizing the current On Demand services from cable providers to bypass the three day weekend juggernauts that make humble films like this one disappear from everyone's radar quicker than the bleep they entered in as. It's also hard to argue the standards set forth by this film on many friends, and for me it stands as a sort of fairytale ideal in movieland with it's unique approach as well as it's talented cast's ability to bring such immediate and raw characters to life.

*Warning: There may be spoilers ahead*

Drinking Buddies for what it's worth comprises itself as a film about two friends played by Jake Johnson and Olivia Wilde who happen to both be in separate relationship, Olivia with Ron Livingston's character, and Jake with Anna Kendrick. What starts off as an introduction of two parties to one another's better half turns into one lost relationship and the other's enduring moderate complications. As both friends struggle to keep their friendship alive (Jake and Olivia), they learn the value and the importance of the bond they share and what it may cost them to have separate love lives. What makes this film unique however is in the outline of these events. Rather than having a script for the film, Director and film writer Joe Swanberg opted to give the cast complete control over each character, providing only the major plot points or purpose behind each scene instead of giving them actual dialogue to recite. The film itself is more or less a movie made by friends perhaps targeting a smaller audience than any distributor would hope, but like one of my favorite films "Newlyweds", this movie seems to have it's existence gilded in passion than just a movie for the sake of making money.  To me, it stands as one of those films on the forefront during a great time of change for the motion picture industry; a one where such small films are seeing increased exposure to the masses through online sites and again, cable providers. It is at this moment, in my opinion, the best example of what sort of gems you can expect to find with this new approach.

It is also worth mentioning however, that you can't expect a film like this one to be the same as most others, or for that matter 'better' because of the approach it takes to bring itself together a coherent film. At times it is evident that parts of the film could've benefited strongly from having a script, and sometimes it feels like a film for the film industry itself, or serious movie aficionados rather than the average movie goer, no matter how easy it can be to relate to. However, thanks to a short length, the film depends on character progression rather than plot, as this movie seems to exist as more of a moment in time between two lives that see themselves perhaps the closest they will ever come to dating (Jake and Olivia's characters) without seeing their budding romance through. They are the best of friends, and this film opts to stay more true to the reality of how we as people don't always do the things we know that we should, instead of give us the happy Hollwood ending we perhaps would enjoy better, or rather, expect to see these days. In turn, this is more of a character study than it is an actual movie about people and events in their lives. Everyone alive at one point or another has probably experienced something similar to what someone in this film has. Whether it be Ron and Anna's character's lack of fidelity or Jake's easy going nature and loyalty to those he cares about, or Olivia's care free spirit and do what you want attitude; we've all either been there or known someone who has, and this film does an excellent job of capturing the purity of those moments by taking authentic dialogue and providing plenty of room for ample flexing of acting skills to lead each scenario. Sometimes it makes more sense to provide a template rather than draw out the whole story, and Drinking Buddies proves that with the right people and a good idea, you can make a full blown movie that excels at what it envisions itself as: a modest portrayal of four people just trying to make it through life and all it's mundane day to day activities and drama. 

This is one of those films that I hope you as the reader will take it upon yourself to go out and rent. The movie I believe is still showing in few theaters, but thanks to video on demand, if you have the ability to check this movie out at least, I can only ask that you give it's brief 90 min length a quick watch. If for any reason you should watch this film to experience what is quickly becoming a new frontier in film making, rather it be through episodic content, friends with access to cheaper high end technology, or director's looking to dip their toes in the indie pool, these types of films are a healthy and much appreciated break from the high budget, over-polished grinding shrapnel fests that most blockbuster machines employ to make back their bajillion dollar budgets. Watch Drinking Buddies with a friend, watch it with a drink, heck, just watch it if you have the time! It's worth every second.

Check out the Trailer for Drinking Buddies Below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsYBCof6NHU

Review Score Card:
Storyline:            Thin on plot, not scripted out; more or less improved, but still unique.
Characters:         The cream of the film, the characters are genuine and though provoking.
Pacing:                Hard to settle into at first, but gathers itself about half way through.
Interest Level:    A must see for any indie movie goer, or fan of just good films in general,
                             this movie is a hard film to not just kick back and enjoy.

Overall:                9 out of 10 - Part of a new movement in film, Drinking Buddies title doesn't
                             do it's artistic nature many favors, but is regardless, a strong example of 
                             how thinking outside the box has helped this new frontier in the 
                             movie industry get smaller films some much needed attention for their 
                             more passion driven productions like this one.