"Drinking Buddies" Review

“Drinking Buddies,” a 2013 ‘Dramedy’ that was released to minimal fanfare, grossed a paltry $342,946 at the box office, an unfortunate result for a film that weaved an engaging character-driven story.  Written and directed by Joe Swanson, a filmmaker who is only a decade into his career and already boasts several dozen directing, producing, writing, and acting credits to his name, the film is revelatory in its honesty.  Featuring failing and burgeoning relationships between refreshingly dynamic and realistic characters, “Drinking Buddies” weaves a nuanced story of slow-burning character development.

The relationship between Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) is the heart of the film.  Co-workers at a beer brewing company, Kate and Luke spend their lunches and evenings together drinking beers and having all-around riotous times.  Although their chemistry is obvious, Luke always returns to his fiance Jill (Anna Kendrick), and Kate drunkenly visits her boyfriend Chris (Ron Livingston) before riding her bike home for the night.  When the couples intermingle and eventually vacation for a weekend together, it becomes evident that Kate and Luke, as well as Jill and Chris, may be better suited for each other.

Johnson and Wilde anchor the film with performances that permeate likability, charisma, and authenticity.  Improvising dialogue from the script outline written by Swanson, the two stars created a diverse array of genuine moments.  A friendly relationship built primarily on the fun-loving nature shared by Kate and Luke, the film’s progression begets inevitable drama that threatens the foundation of their idealistic work relationship.  Each character’s less glamorous side is explored in necessary but slightly contrived scenes of discovery.  The largest criticism with the film was that the exploration of these traits was not completely believable within the context of the story.

Supporting performances by Kendrick and Livingston are brimming with untamed neuroticism that balances out the fun-at-all-costs chaos of the film’s stars.  Jason Sudeikis shines in a minor role as a micromanaging boss, and TI West works well as comedic relief.

The 90-minute film breezed by without many belly laughs, which is expected from a film like this one.  More importantly, there was lack of excessive melodrama that so frequently decimates the ambitions and potential of character driven stories.  Distinctly human in a ‘Richard Linklater’ kind of way, “Drinking Buddies” is definitely worth a viewing.

                                                                    3/4 Stars