If the term “mumblecore” has lost whatever initial meaning it had, it now simply refers to a minimalist style. Joe Swanberg, one of the pioneers of the filmmaking movement, has with his latest film given way to name actors while still trimming the fat of Hollywood rom-coms. “Drinking Buddies” is edited with the crackling urgency of something in the French New Wave while retaining the charm and warmth that will make it a hipster classic.
Olivia Wilde has acquiesced perfectly into the indie scene as Kate, a communications lead at Chicago’s Revolution Brewing. She has a more-than-just-friends relationship with Luke (Jake Johnson), one of the brewers, and they’re perfect together. Yet the practical impasse to their being together is a pair of serious relationships that are healthy, but not nearly as picturesque.
Each of them bring their respective significant others to a cabin in Michigan, and the already obvious attains some added sexual tension. Chris (Ron Livingston) is a bit older and more mature than Kate, and Jill (Anna Kendrick) is dorky and cute, but not always in the cool way, and she doesn’t gel with Luke nearly as well.
Most cabin in the woods movies bottle them up until these characters explode (even the indie “Your Sister’s Sister” did this to varying levels of success), but Swanberg gets all the understanding he needs from little grace notes in development. Kate and Luke’s interactions are playful in the best way possible, with one-sided games of blackjack and the two slapping lunch meat on each others’ faces as the camera bobs and weaves nonchalantly. But then when Jill and Chris go on a walk, the camera is still and the conversation is nearly solemn.
Swanberg’s mostly improvised dialogue does a lot of talking in true, honest, palling around terms without really saying much of consequence, letting the alcohol do the talking instead. It willfully ignores the elephants in the room and avoids the unnecessary drama that would damage the friendship. Maybe that seems like thin screenwriting, but when things do inevitably come to barbs, it’ll feel less scripted.
Wilde and Johnson are an ideal match. They embody the modern millennial intellect and coolness while remaining kids at heart. Wilde especially earns points for being so loveable as she describes her mash-up of “Reservoir Dogs” and “Casablanca” and “mentally Instagrams” her friend’s matching jeans. It’s dialogue that in another actress’s hand might seem overly quirky and cute, and she makes it seem effortlessly touching, relatable and romantic.
“Drinking Buddies” may not have much without the infectious chemistry of its stars, but then part of the charm of Swanberg’s film is that it is so small scale to begin with.
3 ½ stars
Note: “Drinking Buddies” is now available on VOD in addition to being in theaters.
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