DVD Review: Drinking Buddies

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Beer me.
Kate (Oliva Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) are two co-workers at a Chicago brewery who seem like they're quite perfect for each other. Only, Jake is happily in a long term relationship with Jill (Anna Kendrick) and Kate sees Chris, (Ron Livingston) who just don't seem like they have a lot in common. When Chris and Kate go their separate ways, Kate and Luke fall into serious "will they or won't they" territory. 

I'm personally not much of a beer drinker, but I went to an art show/beer tasting thing recently and I drank a lot of good beer. This movie has beer in nearly every scene, and God did it make me want more.. Back to the movie, I thought Olivia Wilde was fantastic in this. She's mostly been a background character to me, either not being given enough to do, or not doing enough with what she's given, but she really shined here, as did the rest of the cast. Obviously, she had great chemistry with Johnson, who also had great chemistry with Kendrick. Having a cast that clicks like this just enhances the characters' relationships with each other. My very first thought when I saw Kate and Luke interact was "This is why some people think guys and girls cannot be friends." I disagree with that statement, but seeing them together, I felt like I saw their point very clearly for once.

I was impressed with Jill, I don't think she was completely oblivious to how Luke and Kate acted around each other, but she didn't go into the stereotypical jealous girl friend mode, and I appreciated that. In fact, this entire film could've fallen into the typical rom com void, but everything about it felt fresh. (which doesn't surprise me when I read how much this film was improvised and how much input the cast had on their characters) Really, I loved the entire thing.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "I don't want your friends to know how short I really am." - Jill (Anna Kendrick)

Comments

  1. LindaJanuary 29, 2014 at 7:00 AM

    I agree on all points. I really enjoyed this film too. There is a good chat in the extras on the DVD about beer and making the film with Joe Swanberg.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 29, 2014 at 10:13 AM

      I watched this on Netflix Instant so I didn't get to see any of the extras. I'll have to look for that on youtube.

      Delete
  2. RaghavJanuary 29, 2014 at 7:49 AM

    I wasn't sure about the film, but then I watched it and loved it. I think there were parts about it that I could connect with from my past so that mattered, but from acting, to just showing modern day relationships, the film works beautifully.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 29, 2014 at 10:12 AM

      I agree 100% I was so pleasantly surprised by this.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2014 at 11:22 AM

    Now I really want to watch this film. Sound very promising. :) Thanks for the review.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:52 AM

      Thanks for reading! I hope you like the film when you see it.

      Delete
  4. CaitlinJanuary 29, 2014 at 11:51 AM

    I'm so annoyed I didn't see this as a new release, I really want to watch it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2014 at 12:20 PM

    Lovely review! I loved seeing Wilde again, totally agree that she was fantastic. The relationship study and interactions between them all were definitely fascinating. Oh, and beer drinking there was definitely fun to watch, and felt almost like a character on its own. :P

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:52 AM

      That's a good way to describe it! Beer should've been credited in the cast.

      Delete
  6. Candice FrederickJanuary 29, 2014 at 8:09 PM

    i really think this film introduced a lot of stories without exploring them fully. it seemed very underdeveloped and just completely hollow.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 30, 2014 at 10:51 AM

      Really? Aww. I can see your point though. I would like to see what happened after the ending. If Luke and Jill got married, what did Kate do, etc.

      Delete
  7. Dan HeatonJanuary 29, 2014 at 9:35 PM

    I just watched Drinking Buddies over the weekend, and I totally agree with your take. Olivia Wilde was the real surprise for me since I didn't have a high opinion of her from some lesser films. I loved the chemistry between Wilde and Jake Johnson. The whole script was improvised, and it felt so natural.

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  8. m.brownJanuary 30, 2014 at 11:51 AM

    I'm in. Let's do this. I've never had a drink in my life, but with the lovely Wilde (and Kendrick) at hand, maybe now's a good time to start.

    ReplyDelete
  9. ruthJanuary 30, 2014 at 3:44 PM

    This doesn't seem like my cup of tea (I'd say a glass of beer but I don't drink), but I'm curious about it now. Oliva Wilde is good here eh? She's kind of a hit and miss for me but she's got quite a presence on screen.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamJanuary 31, 2014 at 10:42 AM

      She's perfect for this role. Easily the best thing she's ever done. You should give it a shot!

      Delete

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