Review of Drinking Buddies (2013) by Nick O — 02 Jan 2014

I don't know jack about Joe Swanberg other than he makes mumblecore horror and is one of the dudes in "You're Next". So I put off seeing "Drinking Buddies" for a while because, frankly, as much as I love all involved, I didn't really have much interest in seeing indie ideals clash with the more mainstream sensibilities of a working-class comedy. Turns out I was -- as I so often am -- dead wrong. Swanberg perfectly marriages the quiet moments of something smaller with an agreeable cast of game faces and humor smoothed while rough enough to feel real. There's no gags in "Drinking Buddies" per se, but still I weirdly found myself laughing at the little conversations these characters would go into with each other. I truly felt in the moment.

Like recently with "The To Do List" (I love you if you actually saw it), "Drinking Buddies" is a movie ultimately I think about how sometimes sex doesn't have to mean anything (though there's nary any in its 90 minutes) and friends can just be friends and still go through rough shit with each other like any ordinary couple. Olivia Wilde nails being basically every guy's dream tom-girl, and yet you root for her because she taps into so much more. And Jake Johnson -- so good in "Safety Not Guaranteed" -- like "Drinking Buddies" itself, keeps up appearances before dovetailing into more of a messy, emotional punch. It's like a grittier "Your Sister's Sister". Which, I mean, most movies are, but. You get me. Maybe. Hopefully.

Let's watch Swanberg go places. (80/100).