Way too often, when one is watching a romantic comedy, there’s a distracting “I would never do that” moment. (Or 10.) Director Joe Swanberg, in contrast, is a master of the plausible.
His latest, “Drinking Buddies,” is a low-key depiction of the close relationship between two Chicago craft brewery co-workers, Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson).
In some ways, it feels like an indie meditation on the eternal “When Harry Met Sally” question: Can men and women be just friends? Here, though, the focus is on the small, often unsaid moments that define a friendship — and a murky attraction.
Wilde’s character is the latest film iteration of the female schlub: Mostly makeup-free and often on her bike, she stays out late drinking with the guys, keeps her apartment in a jumble of dirty dishes and cardboard boxes, and gets weirded out when her boyfriend, Chris (Ron Livingston), asks her to use a coaster.
It’s clear that Kate and the genial, laid-back Luke are kindred spirits, so when they plan a rustic weekend getaway with their respective significant others, you know there’ll be some tension. And there is, but not in a music-cued “Hey! Check out the tension!” way.
In the aftermath, Luke’s girlfriend, Jill (Anna Kendrick), ramps up her hints about wanting him to propose. Kate, meanwhile, finds herself dumped by Chris and drinking even more heavily than usual, facilitating a hookup that changes the dynamic of her friendship with Luke.
There’s more plot, and scripted dialogue, here than in Swanberg’s earlier, mumblecore work. But authenticity still comes first. The people in this movie have realistically messy relationships with each other, and very few Big Cinematic Moments. They also drink like normal people — a fair amount of beer is consumed throughout, but very rarely does anyone get showily drunk (though there is that one moment when Kate has bologna on her face).
We become so accustomed to the predictable rhythms of the rom-com that it’s quietly thrilling — or just plain unsettling, depending on your tastes — to have them subverted. Swanberg offers a whole different interpretation of that Billy Crystal line: “It’s so nice when you can sit with someone and not have to talk.”