Ryan McNeil
Note: It feels a little strange continuing to call this section “DVD Doubleback” when it can, like today, include on-demand titles that haven’t hit DVD yet.
As long as men and women have been friends, there have been situations where one friend wants to be “more than friends” with the other friend. Sometimes the situation presents itself, and sometimes the hand is forced. Other times though, being “more than friends” just won’t happen, and while one might want it, they just have to live with the reality.
DRINKING BUDDIES is about that sort of friendship. At its centre is Kate and Luke (Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson), friends and co-workers at a microbrew. Each of them are seeing other people – Chris and Jill (Ron Livingston and Anna Kendrick) – but neither one of them seem completely happy. In fact before too long, Kate finds herself dumped. The film follows their friendship through the days that follow.
The first thing that jumps out while watching DRINKING BUDDIES is the vast amount of beer consumed. The reason I point this out is because it leads to a lot of scenes where the characters are at least half in-the-bag, if not fully soused. Watching actors “play drunk” can often get annoying really quickly, since it often feels more like “playing” and less like “drunk”. However, in this film, everybody seems to find the right note. These are the sort of drinkers that are chatty and amorous…the sort that make you want to sit and stay for another round.
However, like other films where the script was largely improvised, it sometimes feels like not much is happening. This isn’t helped by the fact that Chris and Jill are sidelined for almost all of the film’s second half. The present doesn’t always feel all that immediate, nor do past events seem to be leaving any marks. So while every glass goes down in good company, one would be forgiven if they walked out of the bar and asked “What were their names again?”
What’s most interesting though are watching Johnson and Wilde play off each other. Specifically, it’s intriguing to see the body language and facial expression each embodies when they are listening or watching the other. We get the sense that Kate and Luke do have a history, and that they are great friends. Many moments find Luke in a mixture of grumpy and sad when he can’t have Kate the way he wants her. Other moments Kate finds herself somewhere between flirty and friendly; knowing how her friend feels about her, but not wanting to make anything of it.
This sort of relationship is usually the sort of situation alcohol can destroy. For Luke and Kate though, being drinking buddies seem to make the bumpy path of life a whole lot smoother.