Drinking Buddies

Plot: Luke and Kate 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. But you know what makes the line between “friends” and “more than friends” really blurry? Beer. Drinking Buddies (2013) Now this right here, is what I call a true indie. The whole thing is stunning and marvelously done. Now this isn’t your typical romantic comedy film, this is very realistic and focused on a lot more than just two characters and love but more focused on the friendships and work. The characters are really brought to life by the fact that the whole film is improvised. No script, just a synopsis of what the movie was about and let me tell you these wonderful actors did a phenomenal job! I really felt like I was right there with them, with the laughs, camera setting’s, the emotional stuff, all of it. I almost cried at how well this film was made and produced. I highly recommend watching it, it’s realistic, cute, funny, beautiful and just a brilliant film. You also get to see the actors (Anna Kendrick, Ron LIvingston, Olivia Wilde, & Jake Johnson) in a different view, because everything that they’re saying is coming from them, not a script, them. And it’s just mind-blowing and I can’t wait too see more from Joe Swanberg. Watch this very brilliant, stunning, beautiful film. You will laugh, cry, and just fall in love with these characters and actors. Also in this film they really are getting drunk, that just shows how talented they truly are. In my opinion this is the best of 2013. Rate:10/10 Rated: R (profanity throughout film) Film Directed and Written by: Joe Swanberg

If Joe Swanberg's filmography has an essential work, I think this is it. His filmmaking style repels that term, his body of work speaks for itself more than individual films do. I would list him as a favorite director, eagerly awaiting his next work, but without being able to list one of his films as a personal favorite. But this is the closest, it's partly because he's working with a more "veteran" cast -- Olivia Wilde owns this thing with her charisma and "cool" girl charm, and should be killing it in more movies like this -- but also because, like most of his films, there are things to learn but no lessons, and here he hits that balance rather perfectly. Lives are left as they are, with things that have happened, and a more standard studio version of this would have wrapped things up and let the characters know exactly how they should be living their lives. Not here, not exactly.