Movie Breakdown: Drinking Buddies

People are doing traditional-style reviews all over the web, so we decided to try something different.  In each “breakdown” we’ll take a look at what a film’s marketing lead us to believe, how the movie actually played, and then what we learned from it all.  Read on!

The Impression:

Olivia Wilde is with Ron Livingston, Jake Johnson is with Anna Kendrick.  All of them are unsure about their relationships with each other.

The Reality:

I was very pleasantly surprised by Drinking Buddies.  Directed and written by Joe Swanberg, the film is a real charmer that thoroughly rummages around in its character’s relationships without ever taking the drama too far.  Not many dramedies function in a “grounded” way at all, so, I really have to give it up to Swanberg for pulling if off.  I honestly can’t remember the last movie of this sort that actually made me feel attached to everyone on the screen.  You should really make an effort to see this.

One last note, Olivia Wilde also deserves a shout-out for looking like a real person (and owning it) instead of sporting her usual glamorous appearance.

The Lesson:

Joe Swanberg’s next effort is now one to look out for.

Drinking Buddies is out on VOD now.