Drinking Buddies

Drinking Buddies

Starring: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston

Director: Joe Swanberg

Rating: 4/5

Joe Swanberg is back in the director's chair this week with his new film Drinking Buddies: a movie that is unlike any other romantic comedy that has hit the big screen so far this year.

When you go to see a romantic/comedy, you think you know what you are going to get... However, Drinking Buddies delivers something completely different as well as totally unexpected.

Luke (Johnson) and Kate (Wilde) are co-workers at a Chicago brewery, where they spend their days drinking and flirting. They're perfect for each other, except that they're both in relationships.

Luke is in the midst of marriage talks with his girlfriend of six years, Kate is playing it cool with her music producer boyfriend Chris (Livingston). But you know what makes the line between "friends" and "more than friends" really blurry? Beer.

Drinking Buddies is a movie that looks at emotional infidelity and physical infidelity, and yet Swanberg goes this in such a new and fresh way.

This is a more complex film than you are expecting that tackles deeper and more powerful issues than you tend to see in films like this. This movie is about two friends at a crossroads in their lives, and have to decide which path to take.

Ok, Swanberg doesn't reinvent this genre with Drinking Buddies, but he just explores things in a manner that you really do not expect.

Swanberg is famed for the improvised way that he shoots his film, and this gives the central relationships a genuine and real feel.

Wilde, Johnson, Kendrick and Livingston clearly revel in this freedom as they are not restricted by the script or the vision of the director: it is a real joy to see a director sit back and allow a talented cast to really do their thing.

The chemistry between Wilde and Johnson is fantastic, and it really does keep audiences hooked with the will-they-or-won't-they suspense. Wilde delivers the best performance of her career, and she really does banter well with Johnson.

Drinking Buddies looks at the complexities of adult relationships, and Swanberg has done it in an adult manner - I am not saying that the movie isn't funny, but it is not a throwaway comedy film.

We don't see too many comedy movies like Drinking Buddies and is great to see a director like Swanberg deliver an interesting, compelling, funny and touching drama about life and love. This is a movie that is not to be missed.

Drinking Buddies is released 1st November.


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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