Drinking Buddies (2013) User Reviews

An observation of relationships through a beer glass

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 6/10 · 30 September 2013]

When the credits roll, Joe Swanberg's "Drinking Buddies" will at least leave you thirsty. Whether you'll be drinking to toast or drinking to forget is another matter.

Regardless in which camp you fall, "Drinking Buddies" is best enjoyed with your favorite craft beer in hand (or several). The story follows Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson), who both work for a new Chicago craft brewery, and their complicated relationship with their significant others and each other.

There isn't much to the story: if you're a beer nerd from the Midwest like I am, you might have more fun playing "spot the beer" than keeping an eye on what will happen next. The dramatic tension in this comedy comes from a weekend that Kate and her boyfriend, Chris (Ron Livingston),spend in Michigan with Luke and his girlfriend, Jill (Anna Kendrick). The sexual tension between the male and female counterparts is quite palpable and it drives (slowly) the entire rest of the film.

Fans of conventional Hollywood storytelling will likely cite "Drinking Buddies" as why independent films are awful, whereas fans of independent films will commend everything Swanberg does in this movie. It's a natural, true-to-life portrayal of relationships, where the characters live in a fishbowl and we observe them, counting the similarities to our own lives. There is practically no manufactured conflict, just people drinking, talking and trying to make sense of their lives.

Swanberg's script sets up situations in which a major conflict between the characters could break out at any second, but the film relies chiefly on its on-screen talent in order to work. Wilde and Johnson have excellent chemistry, to the point where it's almost painful that the story mostly deprives us of that romantic satisfaction. Wilde in particular hasn't given us a performance this raw since she made it big in Hollywood, so to see her give us the full range of the fun-loving but deeply insecure Kate is perhaps the finest takeaway "Drinking Buddies" has to offer. Johnson, on the other hand, while an ideal fit in his role, is mostly operating in familiar territory for anyone who follows him on Fox's comedy "New Girl."

Kendrick and Livingston, though technically important to the story, feel secondary to what may or may not happen between Kate and Luke. The depth of character is just not there for Livingston's Chris, or really for Kendrick's Jill either, though Kendrick (as always) makes the most with what she's given.

"Drinking Buddies" completely and honestly captures the indefinable nature of contemporary relationships, it just doesn't say anything new about it. You don't need to watch Swanberg's film to see a prime example of the oft-blurred line between Platonic and non-Platonic in a relationship, even if this movie does it particularly well. Similarly, the role that craft beer and beer culture plays in the film feels minimal if not irrelevant. The one idea that can be gleaned is that alcohol accentuates the complication of feelings by releasing impulses that otherwise can be repressed, but that's not exactly visible upon watching.

Expert talents and a filmmaker who truly understands relationship dynamics help elevate "Drinking Buddies" above the level of less astute indies that bank more on situational comedy and drama to bolster their themes. Yet the consequence is it hurts the entertainment value to a great degree. "Drinking Buddies" isn't boring, but it's underwhelming despite its strengths.

~Steven C Thanks for reading! Check out moviemusereviews.com for more

Slight

[zetes · 5/10 · 16 September 2013]

About 30 minutes into this film, after a long time of thinking there was something peculiar about it that made it not really work, it occurred to me what was wrong. So I jumped on IMDb and confirmed my suspicion: all the dialogue here is improvised. Yeah, that doesn't often work, and it certainly doesn't here. It all felt slightly unnatural and uncomfortable, and it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Even if it had been scripted, the story (the basic story was known when the actors and directors started making it) is extremely slight. It might have been good enough, though, since the actors here are enjoyable. Jake Johnson (who kills on the Fox sitcom New Girl) plays a worker in a beer factory who is best friends with receptionist Olivia Wilde. Both are involved, he, quite seriously, with Anna Kendrick and she, not very seriously, with Ron Livingston. The four of them go on a trip to Livingston's cabin one weekend, and everything becomes awkward when Livingston steals a kiss from Kendrick when the two go on a nature hike together. This is hardly torture, but it's very forgettable.

Shallow Characters with Shallow Dilemmas

[tigerfish50 · 6/10 · 20 October 2013]

From the threadbare 'Hannah takes the Stairs' to the layered, clever 'Alexander the Last', the quality of Joe Swanberg's films has traditionally been erratic. 'Drinking Buddies' falls somewhere in the upper half of his range as it portrays how a couple of brewery co-workers deal with mutual sexual attraction while engaged in relationships with other partners. Kate and Luke use their love of beer as an excuse to hang out while concealing their amorous agenda and ambivalence in an alcoholic haze. The improvised dialog does deliver some amusing moments, but there are too many repetitive exchanges which dissipate the film's energy.

The two lead actors create credible characters, but Swanberg doesn't give them anywhere particularly interesting to go, and there doesn't appear to be anything of great value at stake. Kate and Luke's Romeo and Juliette saga turns into a circular song-and-dance routine, until their friendship becomes infected by frustration, leading to dishonesty and irritability. The concept is intriguing, but the film turns into an effective endorsement of sobriety. Swanberg has shown he can do better than this, and the end titles arrive just in time.

Go Out Drinking With Your Own Buddies

[Michael_Elliott · 5 January 2014]

Drinking Buddies (2013)

** (out of 4)

Best friends Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) spend all their time at work together and they often go out drinking afterwards. This is fine even though both are involved with other people but soon when the four go on a weekend trip things get a tad bit more complicated. Director Joe Swanberg's latest film is one I really wanted to watch but as the film went along I couldn't help but start to dislike all of the characters more and more. Whenever you're watching a film like this it's important that you can enjoy spending time with the characters because for 90-minutes you're basically just watching them get drunk and talk. In fact, there's a lot of talking in this movie and I didn't find a single line of it all that interested. There are many reasons for this but one of the biggest is that the film is pretty predictable right down to the final scene, which I must admit made me laugh because of how obvious it was. Another problem is like I said, the characters are all just so boring and uninteresting that you really don't care about what they're feeling, thinking or doing. This is especially true for the Kate character who never really makes too much sense and I'd say the Luke character is just as dumb. I'm really not sure what type of point or message the director was trying to make with these characters but they just come across as rather idiotic and lifeless. The performances are the one thing that helps keep the film interesting. Wilde is always good no matter what she's doing. Johnson was believable in his part. Anna Kendrick was good in the role of the girlfriend but the screenplay certainly did her character no favors. Ron Livingston played the boyfriend and again, the screenplay didn't do much for him. DRINKING BUDDIES will probably find a cult crowd out there who connects with these people but I'd recommend going out drinking with your own buddies instead of watching this.

Realistic, but rather boring indie romance

[siderite · 6/10 · 29 November 2013]

I really wanted to like the movie, because it was supposed to be something about real human relationships, not some fairy tale. And it was, and it was boring as hell. Basically the sole strength of the film, if not its entire premise, is the romantic tension between the main character, interpreted by Olivia Wilde, and her colleague at a beer factory. They are friends, but are they only that? You spend one hour and a half to find out.

The highlight of the film, for me, was the double date trip. There we see how people who paired up for romantic relationships get to have more fun and feel more connected to people from other couples. I think it is the most honest moment of the film, I've been there and it feels so weird to pit instant and exciting connection with a stranger against the meaningful but tired relationship with your significant other. The comparison is impossible to make.

Even if this film feels indie in script, acting and budget, one can still be surprised by the cast. Not only Olivia Wilde, but also Ron Livingston, Anna Hendrick and Jason Sudeikis are playing. So for such a cast I had better expectations than what I was served. I really wished the drinking in the title would be something meaningful, not just that a quarter of the film is about people drinking in the same room.

Bottom line: it was a raw, realistic film about human relationships. A "life movie" how my mother would call it. It was not too pretentious and overall was well done and acted. The problem is that it doesn't bring much to the table and ended up to be extremely boring to me. Also, 13 doesn't look as good naked as I had expected ;)

Not enough research?

[cory-frederiksen · 6/10 · 1 August 2013]

I was very excited about this movie when I first saw the trailer, a) because I work in the craft beer industry, but also b) because with the popularity of craft beer in the last few years there haven't been any mainstream movies other than documentaries about it, so the idea was original. Not to mention the casting was great in my opinion.

I had heard they did extensive research about the craft beer industry before making the movie so everything would seem legitimate, my question is why is Jake Johnson wearing an old style hat the entire time? A craft brewer, from revolution I believe, wearing a macro beer brand who is owned by a huge corporation that is actively trying to shut down craft breweries and going as far as buying them up just to discontinue their product and thus competition. No way! I know it's not a big deal, but definitely an oversight that lasted the entire film.

Also I enjoyed the use of other breweries beer and apparel such as; Founders, 3 Floyd's, Half Acre, Allagash, Abita, Avery, etc. but it seemed a little forced that a brewer would be wearing and drinking that many different brands where seldomly seen representing his own.

These are all probably nit-picky things for most but maybe others in the industry can identify.

Lastly, the timeline seemed to move very fast, this was a rather short and fast paced movie to begin with, but some things weren't as meaningful or believable because of their fast pace. Not to mention the ending was abrupt and a bit of a let down.

That being said, I still thought it was a good movie and would recommend it to people both in the industry and those who aren't as there is someone for everyone.

People Drinking Beer Doesn't Make for Gripping Entertainment

[evanston_dad · 4/10 · 13 December 2013]

It's official: watching a bunch of twenty-somethings figure out who they want to date is boring.

"Drinking Buddies" is about two couples who kind of wish each of them were free to hook up with the opposite-gendered member of the OTHER couple but who don't do anything about it. There are many scenes of some combination of these four people drinking copious amounts of beer and talking about nothing that's at all significant. This might recreate the actual experience of going out to bars and staying there long after all of the exciting people have gone home, but it makes for tedious and unengaging dramatic material. I would be tempted to shrug the film off as a total loss, but the final few scenes finally deliver something interesting in the way of writing and acting, so the film's not a complete wash.

Olivia Wilde is the main protagonist, and she's basically a male fantasy come true -- in other words, a dude who just happens to have a vagina. Anna Kendrick is the boring girl who wants her boyfriend to propose to her, and she looks just about as bored to be in the movie as we are by her character.

The film was of particular interest to me because it takes place in Chicago (where I live), but it could have been filmed in any city that has nondescript apartments.

Though I'm not THAT much older (38) than these characters are supposed to be, I felt watching this movie like I might as well have been born in the 1950s. You know you're a parent when you want to tell all the characters to drink some water and eat a vegetable.

Grade: C

A realistic view of adult relationships

[jayjaydeng · 8/10 · 1 August 2013]

As a warning to anyone wishing to see this movie: it is not a COMEDY nor was it designed to be. Jake Johnson usually plays comedic roles but do not expect any big laughs from him or the cast. This movie is essentially a new take on a classic relationship quagmire - 2 adults who are doomed to remain friends despite a strong sexual attraction towards each other.

The films strongest point is the portrayal of realism in regards to adult relationships. You won't find any cheesy romantic quips or witty comedic banter - just adults trying their best to deal with the problems of love and life. A large portion of the film may seem uneventful but for anyone who has been in this type of situation before, you will establish a greater connection to the lovelorned co-stars.

Olivia Wilde is surprisingly genuine and in-depth along with Johnson. Jason Sudeikis has a wasted cameo (probably decided to be in the film to keep tabs on his new wifey, Olivia). Other then that, no one else really stands out.

It is best to come into this film with the realization that it is not a comedy; that way you will have a greater appreciation of the adult themes laid out.

Vapid characters

[mrsbutters-92985 · 2/10 · 30 March 2020]

The main character acts like an immature and vapid brat, but everyone puts up with her because she's pretty and they all want to bang her. This movie had no point but to show how pretty people get whatever they want. Duh. We already know that's how the world works. We don't need movies about it.

Delightful, breezy slice of life

[Emma_Stewart · 8/10 · 27 July 2013]

I've been highly anticipating this in the hopes that it would be this year's Celeste & Jesse Forever and it didn't disappoint at all: it's more light-hearted and less penetrative, but has the same keen eye for relationship dynamics, sly humor, realistic characters and fantastic soundtrack. It's the most true-to-life romantic comedy I've seen in years. The characters were so relatable, totally reminded me of people in my life, and Joe Swanberg doesn't need plot twists or external drama to push the story along because it unfolds so naturally through the character interactions and developments.

It doesn't dig very deep into its characters, but I felt that was accurate and appropriate: we don't know much about the characters because they don't let people get to know them. Daily interactions are shallow, jokey; the deep conversations and self-revelations only really happen at 4am by a bonfire after a few drinks. I think the film would have been much worse if it had a Katherine-Heigl-movie moment of all the characters spilling their feelings and wants and grievances to each other because that is not how life goes - at least not for these people.

Olivia Wilde is outstanding and while it's not the powerhouse role I've been waiting for her to take on, it does further establish her as an impressively natural and charismatic talent simply in need of the right roles. She's hilarious and buoyant and handles her dramatic moments - however fleeting or quiet - with expert skill. Jake Johnson was the perfect match for Wilde as they have incredible chemistry and their charming banter keeps the movie energized. Anna Kendrick basically plays herself, but she's very good, as is Ron Livingston with a curiously enigmatic performance.

It won't appeal to everyone, because as it is so realistic, not much happens. It's more focused on the almosts and the might-have-beens than the happeneds. But it's so delightful, funny, observant, and coyly ambiguous, I really hope people give it a chance. It's not going to revolutionize cinema or anything but it has an authenticity, spark and lively wit that the genre generally eschews in favor of saccharine clichés and melodramatic crying scenes.

It never happens

[law187 · 6/10 · 4 December 2013]

I had high hopes for this movie, From the cast to the unique landscape it had given itself to craft its story.

From the very beginning you get the feeling Olivia and Jakes characters are meant to be together. They are both in other relationships that do not seem as though they would work. The entire movie you expect them to make this connection, or at the very least for something to happen. Ultimately, nothing happens. I understand the want to not fall into any clichés but something could have happened while avoiding that. Instead the credits roll while the audience is wondering what has changed from the beginning of the film. Nothing.

The performances of the cast were all good and I think they fit their characters well. With the lack of anything ground breaking in the script it just came off as boring. It could have been much better.

6/10

Boredom has a new name - it's called "Drinking buddies"

[borislavmiletic · 3/10 · 14 August 2013]

When I began to watch this movie a expected a romantic, funny movie. Much because that's how they advertise it. This, however, is not a romantic movie and is far from comedy as well. Not a single thing is funny in this movie. I've been to funerals that were funnier than this. It's also not a romantic movie, even though the main story (and only story for that matter) has something to do with romance. It's not even a real drama movie for characters are poorly written - what you see is what you get and you don't get much. We see ordinary people in ordinary situations portrayed in such a way that it's just boring - plain BORING. The story did have a potential but everything they could blow they blew. Acting is poor as well for most of the cast, but I guess you cannot do much better with such a script.

We were supposed to feel something going on between the characters but the only thing I felt while watching this movie was an unbearable wish to turn it off and watch something else. I did just that half way through the movie and never looked back.

Painful Analysis of People's Inability to Communicate with One Another

[l_rawjalaurence · 7/10 · 9 September 2014]

DRINKING BUDDIES has divided critical opinion since its release in 2013: some reviewers have welcomed Joe Swanberg's film as an honest portrayal of thirty-something characters and their inabilities to sustain long-lasting relationships; others have berated it for its halting plot-lines, banal dialog and lack of closure.

Although billed as a comedy, the film pulls no punches in its depiction of all four central characters, whose inability to express themselves is palpable. Their frequent use of clichéd phraseology ("great," "awesome,") punctuated with frequent verbal pauses ("um.." "er...") doesn't suggest inarticulateness, but a reluctance to disclose their true feelings, for fear of seeming weak or insecure. The title DRINKING BUDDIES is a suggestive one, for it is within a group situation in a bar, a glass of beer in hand, that sustains at least two of the characters, Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson). They can either indulge in false bonhomie with their work colleagues, or refrain from talking altogether and play pool instead. Luke tries his best to recreate the same atmosphere wherever he goes; when he and Kate accompany Jill (Anna Kendrick) and Chris (Ron Livingston) on a weekend away in the wilds of Michigan, Luke plays blackjack with Jill and Kate.

When the characters are removed from such situations, however, they are rendered virtually inarticulate. Chris finds it difficult to tell Kate that he wants to break up with her; and even when he does, she refuses to believe him. Jill sits in bed with Luke and tries desperately to persuade him to think seriously about their forthcoming wedding; Luke promises to do so, but we can understand from his body-language that he is simply trying to change the subject. In a climactic scene, Luke helps Jill to move house; when they are finished, they spend the night together. We expect them to fall into one another's arms; but instead they end up having a tiff. Their inarticulateness proves their undoing; imprisoned by their linguistic and emotional hang-ups, they cannot discuss anything in a meaningful way.

Shot on a low-budget without musical accompaniment, Swanberg relies on a series of lengthy shot/reverse shot sequences to reinforce his thematic concerns. The camera lingers on the actors as they cast quick glances at one another, and then look away at something else - a beer glass, a pillow, a picnic hamper, or a picture. The objects within the frame provide them with emotional as well as physical refuge from the (painful) experience of having to understand what their interlocutors feel. They are alienated; just like the viewer, who finds it difficult to sympathize with any of the protagonists.

The film ends on a note of cautious optimism, as Luke and Jill attempt some kind of (silent) reconciliation as they silently eat their lunches in a small room. It is significant, however, that neither of them look directly into one another's eyes; in fact, they consciously avoid what for them is a painful maneuver. As a result we remain skeptical as to whether the two of them will actually make up at all; they seemed to have learned nothing from their previous experiences.

DRINKING BUDDIES is in many ways a painful film to watch, as it lays bare the realities of living in a world whose inhabitants seem so busy that they never have time for one another. It communicates a series of human truths that we would do well to understand.

modern workplace flirting and its effect on modern relationships

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 20 August 2013]

Kate (Olivia Wilde) works at a small brewery and flirts with drinking buddy co-worker Luke (Jake Johnson). In many ways, they're perfect for each other, but Kate is in a relationship with Chris (Ron Livingston) and Luke is in a relationship with Jill (Anna Kendrick).

The acting is good. I love every one of them. The writing is a little too casual. In fact, the dialog is especially casual from Jill. There seems to be a lot of improvisational work. It can get a little tiring, but the relationships are worth sticking around for. The casualness does drain away some of the emotional drama. It's still good.

I thought it was OK then found out it was entirely improved. That made me like it much more. Worth watching because of that

[cosmo_tiger · 7/10 · 8 November 2013]

"You are not allowed to make me feel bad...because I am single and you are not." Luke and Kate are co-workers at a brewery and are best friends who enjoy drinking. They decide to take a weekend trip together with their significant others. Luke is talking about marriage and Kate is just starting out with her boyfriend. They soon learn about not only their relationships but how they feel about each other. I will do this review in two sections. First, watching it I was liking it and enjoyed it but it wasn't as funny as I was thinking it was going to be. It seemed very real and in same ways a little depressing. All that said I did like it and think it was OK. After watching it I then looked at other reviews and found something out that made me like it more. The entire movie was improved. There was no script. The actors were given an outline of what was going on and the rest was up to them. That aspect is why I think the movie felt very real. It also affected my view of the movie. I'm not exactly sure why but the fact that it was made up on the fly makes me like the movie more and really adds another dimension to an otherwise cookie cutter movie. Overall, a movie that is enjoyable but not what I was expecting and the fact the movie was organic really makes me like it more. I give it a B.

A great movie about ordinary people.

[zalkins · 9/10 · 5 August 2013]

This is not your ordinary rom/com. This movie focuses on conversation and relationships. Long, realistic conversations with buddies, work colleagues and partners. It's so sad to see reviews complaining that this movie is too realistic and that nothing happens, when that's exactly what the movie wants.

I was expecting another generic romantic Hollywood drama/comedy like The Dilemma or the Change-Up, with an obvious plot to work around and some clichés thrown in. Instead it felt more like Blue Valentine meets Closer, but lighter than Blue Valentine and more realistic than Closer.

I liked the long camera shots that follow the characters around, focusing on them and their interactions. I liked that I didn't know what was going to happen in a scene because there's no obvious overall plot in the movie. There's just ordinary people having ordinary conversations.

Breezy indie meditation on young people's upheavals and mistakes

[BadRoosevelt · 7/10 · 6 March 2023]

If Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde weren't in this film, I probably would never have noticed it or cared to give it a chance. The fact that it took me this long to get around to it is a good indication of that. Free-spirited and laid-back, this film is not a treatise as much as depiction of young couples and their trials and travails.

It's intriguing on the surface, but "The Last Days of Disco" and "Chasing Amy" covered similar ground and with more eloquence and heart.

Jake Johnson has the main presence in this film as an immature, low-grade boyfriend whose crush on his co-worker puts his perspective at a crossroads. He's not anything approaching a hero or strong protagonist, but his character has a level of realism. I give the film credit for not being absolutely predictable. Recommended if you like any of the principals in this film.

Terrible, Awful, and Boring

[benfunu-71028 · 1/10 · 3 March 2020]

When I realized that it didn't matter how the movie ended and that it couldn't be rescued, I turned the piece of crap off. This is the worst movie I've ever attempted to watch. I'd be embarrassed to have my name in the credits of this movie.

Charming & Fun

[unicorned · 8/10 · 19 July 2013]

I saw this movie at the Indianapolis International Film Festival and it exceeded my expectations, partially because of the negative review beside this one.

The plot of Drinking Buddies is simple: two close co-workers - both already in relationships - struggle with their feelings toward one another. This is a relatable concept for many of us, and those of us who have been in this situation understand just how complicated it can get.

The other reviewer claims that "nothing happens between the main characters," and I would argue that point. Lots of things happen between the main characters and what these things most close resemble is real life. This film is thoughtful, funny, heartbreaking and totally charming.

Pleasant And Forgettable, Goes Well With Beer

[meaninglessbark · 7/10 · 4 October 2014]

Drinking Buddies is a well crafted pleasant film that looks at a platonic friendship between a man and woman who work together at a microbrewery. It's well acted, flows nicely, is very believable, and is so ordinary and every day that it will most likely be forgotten shortly after viewing.

Drinking Buddies is one of those indie films that seem to be made by people who find their own little worlds and circle of friends incredibly fascinating and as such worthy of sharing with the world.

There is nothing wrong with being enthralled with your life and friends, it's the ideal way to live. But just because you're happy and amused with your little world doesn't mean it's interesting to the world at large.

Drinking Buddies is decent enough, and unlike similar my-life-is-fascinating indie films it's not full of cringe inducing dialog or idealized non-ideal characters.

But almost anybody who'd want to watch Drinking Buddies has probably lived or is living a life like the one portrayed in Drinking Buddies. A sort of unstructured semi-slacker lifestyle; days spent fully employed in a just-left-of-mainstream job, off time spent hanging out with friends and drinking beer and having conversations and doing things that seem very meaningful when buzzed or drunk.

If that describes you and if during one of those half drunken conversations you've ever said "We should just, like, get some cameras and film our lives and make a movie of it!" you'll be happy to know that you needn't bother because the people who made Drinking Buddies already did it for you.

So rather than make a movie about your good but un-extraordinary life go buy a couple dozen craft brews, watch Drinking Buddies with your drinking buddies, then dream up some other creative endeavor. Maybe a food truck that sells pizza nachos or ice cream infused with booze.

What just happened?

[boguspomp · 3/10 · 29 July 2013]

We just watched Drinking Buddies and we are still perplexed. I cannot agree with the reviews that rate this movie a 9 or even a 10 out of ten. I didn't know until I read one of the reviews that the dialogs were improvised. I should have known, because most of them were just awful. There is a reason that people like Hitchcock spent up to 5 months to create the script and the dialog, because without proper words the interactions seems to be totally useless. I still think that all the main characters were played by good actors, but a good actor is not necessarily a good improviser. I like independent movies and will continue to watch them, but next time I will read some reviews first. I give 3 out of ten, because the basic idea for the movie was good, just the realization was very amateurish.

Good

[manitobaman81 · 7/10 · 5 September 2014]

Luke and Kate are coworkers at a brewery who spend their nights drinking and flirting heavily. One weekend away together with their significant others proves who really belongs together and who doesn't. For some reason or another, certain movies achieve a reputation as being worse than they actually are. OK, there are some flaws and I am not too naive to suggest this movie is worthy of an Oscar. My advice would be to watch this movie in full before you judge it. It shows how wrapped up we can become when trying to achieve our goals through others and how it affects people around us. Yes, this does remind me a lot of Welcome Back, Kotter.

I dont know how to feel about this movie

[bengilson · 7/10 · 30 October 2020]

The movie itself was nothing special, but the acting felt so real and authentic that I felt like I was watching real peoples lives. Even if you arent interested in the concept of the movie, watch it purely for Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick. Also, I guess they weren't even handed a script which makes these performances so much better.

Skip this one unless you like awkward improvised acting

[seanjackson777 · 4/10 · 24 February 2023]

Another genius indie film director who thinks having a script for a movie isn't necessary. Great. Just stick your actors in front of the camera and have them improvise EVERY scene for the whole movie. Theres no balance between well written scripted dialogue and improvisation because there was no script at all for this movie and it shows. You can see these actors become visibly frustrated to get through these scenes and play off each others dialogue. Almost every scene felt forced and awkward. I didn't find any of these characters funny or relatable which is what the director probably thought he'd be getting from his actors by making them improvise. We've seen these actors be great in different roles where I'm sure they had more to go off of than just vague outlines of how a scene is supposed to go. Even the best actors will struggle when expected to improvise every scene. The storyline is pretty uneventful and underwhelming. Even the name of the movie isn't clever it's just named drinking buddies. That's fine as a working title but you gotta come up with something better than that.

So here's a tip to future film makers: don't think you know better than the entire filmmaking industry and don't need a script for your movie. Do your actors a favor and get your movie right on paper first.

This movie is a lesson to all the movie making people about how relationship works in real life!

[piruthiviraj · 9/10 · 29 July 2013]

When I was watching, I was expecting and worried at the same time that this movie would wind up the same way as the 1000 movies I have already seen about courtship and the drama and weak constructions of a relationship that follows that in a movie.

But this movie doesn't have any of the routine non-sense that other movies have and the ending could not have been better.

I know all the negative reviews preceding this, but they have not seen all the boring movies which always have the same ending. I 'm really happy that this movie doesn't end like that.

The director has done a great job in making the movie as lively as possible. In this movie, I felt like the actors were was not even acting, It felt so real rather than the cliché crap we see on other movies.