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Plot: What’s it about?
I will confess that I had never heard of Tim Robinson before seeing Friendship. One of my nephews continually spoke highly of him as well as this film. Paul Rudd also stars, and I took his recommendation and gave the film a chance. And boy am I glad I did. While the film won’t be for everyone, there is just something about it that is hard to describe. I had a great time with it and can’t wait to view it again. I came across a random commenter on social media who described it as a modern day The Cable Guy and I find that a fitting description. While this film might not have quite the mass appeal of the Jim Carrey led vehicle, it still should win over many viewers. You just must give it a chance, and it may work on you like it did on me.
Tim Robinson stars as Craig Waterman, who is a marketing executive and has a wife, Tami (Kate Mara) and a son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). The couple are selling their home (for reasons never fully explained) and meet the new neighbor who recently moved in, named Austin, played by Paul Rudd when they receive a misdelivered package. Austin is a popular local weatherman and it’s clear that Craig takes a liking to him. As we see Craig’s daily routine and behavior, it’s easy to see why the guy doesn’t have many friends. While successful as his job, he doesn’t seem to be a team player and lacks basic social etiquette. Craig and Austin begin hanging out and things seem ok for a short while. It isn’t until one night that Craig visits Austin’s house, along with some of his friends, that things go south. He accidentally breaks his glass door, not knowing it’s closed. The final straw, however, when Austin and Tim are having a fun boxing match Craig takes it too far. Austin informs Craig later that he essentially wants to discontinue the friendship. It’s here that Craig takes his unusual behavior steps further. He shows up unannounced at the TV station where Austin works, throwing him off his game and can’t seem to let go. Where things go from here may be obvious to some, but I felt the film had enough detours to keep me invested.
I can say wholeheartedly that this is one of the few recent films that had me laughing out loud several times. It is also one that I wish to revisit soon as well. That is something I don’t get from most recent films. There is just about this film and the style of humor that won me over. What’s so refreshing is how subtle the film is. It doesn’t have to try so hard. I will give an example. When two characters are out near the woods looking for mushrooms and we slowly see one of them sinking because of the quicksand. It’s moments like that where I was smiling and laughing heavily. I was never quite sure what the Craig character would say or do next, and I couldn’t wait to see. It isn’t always an easy film to sit through, but it left a strong impression on me. I won’t say everything works so great as a small subplot involving a character who goes missing felt unneeded, but the payoff is amusing. Still, this is one of the more enjoyable films I’ve seen this year and hope it garners a cult following. I can’t wait to see what Tim Robinson does next.
Video: How does it look?
Though the film was shot digitally, it seems that a lot of extra, additional effort was made to give this film a more “vintage” look – namely that of film. And I’m fine with that. The 1.66:1 AVC HD encode doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination and though I found some sequences of the intentional grain a bit distracting, it wasn’t that big of a deal. I was reminded of The Squid and the Whale (for some odd reason) as a source of comparison. Maybe I’m spot on. Maybe not. Still, being a newer film we are presented with some striking visuals as well as the usual caveats. It’s a good-looking transfer and one that’s sure to please, though some might be turned off by the way it looks.
Audio: How does it sound?
There are films out there that will test the limits of your 6, 7, 8 or above channel system. This isn’t one of them. This could easily pass for a Woody Allen movie (i.e. mono) if you let it. Don’t read anything into that, it doesn’t sound bad by any means, it’s just not the kind of film that will have your fingers in your ears. Vocals are strong and sharp, surrounds are used sparingly and save for the “jam session” segment, I’m thinking that most of the movie is relegated to the front stage. It’s a good, well-rounded mix, but not one that’ll challenge your system.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – The trio of Writer-Director Andrew DeYoung, Director of Photography Andy Rydzewski and Conner O’Malley combine for a rather interesting track. I’d have liked/enjoyed Rudd’s or Kate Mara’s comments as well, but what we’ve got here is enough for fans of the film to enjoy. It’s chock full of interesting tidbits about the film, the shoot, the cast and so forth.
- Conner O’Malley Extended Garage Scene – Pretty self-explanatory.
- Deleted Scenes – Eight minutes’ worth of additional scenes (not broken out into chapters) are included, though I didn’t feel they added a lot to the film (most likely why they were cut).
- Men Talking in the Dark Extended Q & A – I have to say that this delivers on what it promises. We’ve got Eric Rahill, Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson, and Andrew DeYoung sitting in four chairs in, you guessed it, the dark. Using the light of their cell phones asking and answering questions and so forth. We do get some “night vision” shots as well. Some good information is learned, for sure, but I think the overall impact is lost given that we’re either trying to figure out what’s going on or are laughing along with the gang.
The Bottom Line
Subtle, funny, weird and somehow strangely relatable at times, Friendship simply won me over. I wasn’t sure just what to expect or even if it would at all be my cup of tea, but indeed it was. Looking and sounding good and packed with enough supplements to warrant a purchase, this one is worth checking out for sure.
