FRIENDSHIP (A-minus) - Sometimes all you need is a string of belly laughs and a plot that always go where you'd expect it to. The trailer quotes a magazine critic as saying "Friendship" is "the funniest thing I've seen in my entire life," and while I wouldn't go that far, there is something unique and refreshing about this tale of a social outcast fumbling the rules of befriending another adult male.
Tim Robinson (above, left) stars as that bizarre man, Craig, and it might be a challenge for a viewer to dive in unprepared for the hawk-nosed Robinson's skewed comedic sensibilities. He is most known for his bizarre Netflix sketch series "I Think You Should Leaves," or for his previous collaboration with Sam Richardson, "Detroiters." He specializes in startling, inappropriate emotional outbursts. This is his first big-screen starring role, and he carries the film ably, with the help of Paul Rudd, who plays Craig's new neighbor, Austin, a local TV weatherman who invites Craig into his nerdy bro circle, only to dump him after Craig exhibits some odd behavior. Rudd borrows not a little of Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy ("Anchorman") for his insecure, buffoonish character. Austin tracks as extra cool because he also fronts a dad punk band.
Craig works at a drab advertising agency and seems to wear the same bland suit every day. His wife, Tami (Kate Mara) is a year recovered from cancer and is more intimate with their teenage son than she is with Craig. The fragility of the marriage is outlined fully in the opening scene, where Craig and Tami speak awkwardly at her cancer-recovery group meeting. There's always something unsettling about the couple's interactions, as if they also exist in a parallel horror film.
Craig is excited to have finally made friends -- especially one as nurturing as the sensitive guys Austin has assembled -- and he is crushed like a spurned teenager when Austin abruptly cuts him loose. This leads to some stalkerish behavior from Craig, and when he tries to re-create a bonding episode with Austin -- a bad-boy trespassing through the tunnels under the city -- with Tami, things go horribly wrong.
All of this springs from the mind of first-time feature writer-director Andrew DeYoung (who directed six episodes of the TV series "PEN15"), who shows a command of the story and a fine ear for offbeat supporting characters. At one point Craig strains to connect with a young man selling cell phones, eventually scoring a hallucinogenic from the clerk, who takes him to the back room to guide him gently through what promises to be a psychedelic trip. What Craig actually experiences is one of the funniest scenes I've seen in a movie in ages -- a clever twist on the movie trope of the life-altering, mind-expanding drug experience.
DeYoung's comedy aesthetic tracks seamlessly with Robinson's eccentric style. Rudd, the quintessential team player, finds the right tone to harmonize with Robinson. Mara channels Julie Haggerty's "Lost in America" spouse with deadpan skill. DeYoung's script never falters, and he guides several running jokes (a suburban speed hump, a certain glass door) into savory payoffs in the end. This has a kinship with another Rudd vehicle, "I Love You Man," as it explores the pitfalls of trying to find a pal as an adult. Making friends late in life will never not be at least a little awkward, and rarely is it this funny.
BONUS TRACK
The trailer:
The studio version of the song the men sing to comfort each other, "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJs, released in 1996 and revived in 2016 during the "Running Man Challenge" meme:
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