Friendship – REVIEW & COCKTAIL – The Martini Shot

Look, we all get embarrassed sometimes. It’s a natural part of life. Just the other day, a group of teenagers at my local cineplex clowned me for not having seen Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. I’ll get to it guys, don’t worry. Next time I’ve got 200 minutes to spare, I’m on it. But when you get embarrassed, you can either take it on the chin and move along, get mad about it and let it ruin your day, or, the fun and secret third option; continue to dig yourself deeper in a hole until you reach the other side of the planet.

Perhaps no one has distilled that specific form of self-torture into comedy lately than Tim Robinson. His acclaimed skit show, I Think You Should Leave, is all about people acting irrationally in absurd, bizarre situations. It’s one of my favorite shows of the last few years, so when I heard he was gonna be starring in what seemed like a feature length episode of the show, I was over the moon excited. And now that I’ve seen it, let me tell you, us sickos are eating good like Seal Team 6 did after killing bin Laden. 

Friendship is an extended display of Robinson’s quirky brand of cringe comedy mixed with the kind of aesthetic A24 usually reserves for thrillers and horror movies. It’s a bonkers film that does so well at remaining grounded while still being absurd, which in turn, actually manages to generate some emotional connection to an absolutely pathetic man. At times it can feel restrained because of this direction, but ultimately, I think it was the right call to make this an unnerving watch that still had me laughing nonstop.

Craig Waterman is a middling marketing executive whose whole life is turned upside down when he becomes acquainted with his new neighbor, the charismatic and cool weatherman Austin Carmichael. The two begin a budding, titular friendship, until Craig’s off putting nature begins to sour Austin’s thoughts on him. With his new friend cutting him off and his own relationship with his wife continuing to crumble, Craig spirals as he tries to make things right in the only way he knows how; the wrong way.

Tim Robinson just has one of those faces for comedy, and by God, does he put that face to work here. Some of Robinson’s funniest moments in the film are honestly when he’s silent, processing revelations he just heard or just smiling like a goofball when the situation does not call for it. But his words are just as funny, carrying the kind of delusion and frustration that sometimes just makes you want to crawl out of your skin. Like I’ve said, if you’ve seen I Think You Should Leave, you’ll know what to expect from him. Sure, it’s nothing exactly new for the actor, but this schtick absolutely needed to make its way to the big screen, and it found a suitable home inside Craig Waterman. He’s the kind of guy who only wears clothes that he buys at his favorite seafood restaurant; the kind of guy who will hyperfixate on a place he hears about once, demanding everyone he knows to check it out. It’s a hilariously off-putting role, but not one void of any real humanity. His mannerisms and deliveries are certainly exaggerated, but there is still a relatability to him that makes his consistent downward spiral as sad as it is darkly funny.

And playing the apple of his eye, who is not his wife but he probably wishes he was, is Paul Rudd as Austin. Sporting a stache leftover from his days as Brian Fantana, Rudd does exactly what he’s needed for. He’s the guy we all wanna be associated with, as just breathing the same air he does seems to fill us with a confidence to take on the world. But at the same time, he’s a lot like us all when it comes to Craig’s shenanigans; we see them as harmless at first until they hit too close to home. He certainly possesses a bravery not found in most when he tells Craig he wants to end things, which makes him fairly dynamic. Is he right to do it? Absolutely. Could he have been a little nicer about it? Probably. Somehow you want to see him both get his comeuppance while also staying as far away from Craig as possible, with Rudd bringing that ageless charm we know him for every step of the way. Additionally, a lot of the side characters get some good play, from a rat-tailed Billy Byrk peddling psychedelic toad ass to Conner O’Malley bringing up how we left Afghanistan at the most unorthodox time.

If you’re familiar with I Think You Should Leave, you’ll know that the world and scenarios that the series showcases is often grounded in reality, yet more often than not, it can get way out there. It almost kind of keeps you cringing because it ends up getting too ridiculous to hit home, but Friendship remedies back. It still has its extraordinary moments, like a drug trip in a Subway, but the world still manages to anchor itself to reality enough for it to strike a chord. We probably all know that one guy who can’t take a hint, and this film knows just how to utilize that character type to hilarious and uncomfortable effect. The editing especially nails this through a mix of uncomfortable and foreboding shots alongside some hilariously erratic injections of punk music. There’s definitely an intentful playfulness in the editing that certainly did not go unnoticed by me. The film doesn’t exactly get very deep into its ideas, but when the comedy is this solid, you don’t really need much more. I don’t think it’ll hit everyone’s senses of humor, but if you’ve got mine, then you’re potentially about to go through a vocabulary overhaul. It really is kind of an encapsulation of modern day absurdist comedy, refraining from the high brow and sometimes just relying on public meltdowns and screaming. At the same time, there’s an anger and sadness to the comedy that somehow even makes it more funny. Maybe it preys on mens’ fears of emasculation and being viewed as unfit to be in the cool group. Or maybe it’s just a great opportunity for Robinson to shout and swear constantly. Maybe two things can be true.

Comedy is super subjective, so I always hesitate to recommend one because we all have different senses of humor. Friendship is for those who are fans of the off-putting, the relatable and the weirdly specific. Tim Robinson continues to prove why, in my eyes, he’s one of the most hysterical comedy actors working today, taking his signature brand of weirdness and throwing it into a feverish story that can sometimes border on nightmarish. Highly quotable and endlessly entertaining, Friendship may have won its way into being one of my favorite modern comedies. One thing is for certain: who needs therapy when you’ve got friends. Turns out; everyone. Everyone should probably be in therapy.

RATING

ABSOLUTELY CHERRY

“Absolutely cherry” is a phrase you use when something is nice, choice, and in some cases, gnarly. It is also a phrase that is bound to be co-opted by that one guy from work who thinks you two are friends but if you saw him outside of work you’d avoid him like the plague. And, in rare cases such as this, it is also a great, sour-style cocktail. With the tartness of cherry and the refreshing notes of coconut water, this cocktail is fit for any friend group or team contracted to kill Osama bin Laden.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5oz gin
• 2oz coconut water
• 3/4oz lemon juice
• 1/2oz cherry syrup
• 2 dashes cherry bitters
• 1 egg white
• Garnish: Cherry

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add ingredients to a shaker and dry shake without ice for about 20 seconds.
2. Add ice to shaker and shake to chill.
3. Strain into coup glass.
4. Garnish with cocktail cherry.