Review of Drinking Buddies (2013) by Quang N — 01 Sep 2013

The acting performances in the movie are completely cliche and somewhat annoying. What happened to Anna Kendrick? Years ago I saw her in "Rocket Science" and thought "What a promising performance for a young, new star".

Apparently she has now been reduced to the perky, somewhat-ditzy girlfriend (see: End of Watch, What to Expect When You're Expecting, and this gem). I suppose the director really wanted the audience to connect with these characters because they are so "witty", "realistic", and "loveable"; in reality, however, I found them to be none of the above.

The plot is one which basically reveals and exhausts itself within 30 minutes of the movie: Two couples. Both in relationships with someone who is obviously not the right fit for them. But wait! The chemistry between friend's significant others is off the chain! Now lets waste 90 minutes of the audience's time with contrived filler conflict to arrive at what will inevitably happen.

But alas, I won't spoil anything for those who haven't seen it. Better yet, get yourself completely wasted on the alcohol of your choice, then rent "Leaving Las Vegas" and treat it as a romantic comedy rather than a depressing drama about alcoholism.

Trust me, you'll be far more entertained and will have saved yourself the cost of a ticket at the box office.