I’ll come out and say it, I am new to Tim Robinson movies and this is his first I’m seeing. I know people have spoken about his show I Think You Should Leave, and it is something I have planned to find out. But, I more or less went into this blank, without any anticipation. Boy was I wrong; it turned out to be one of the most cringe worthy movies. But, in reality, I experienced a good time watching it.
Of course, one has to be aware of the fact that this type of comedy is not universally appreciated always a risk. While viewing Friendship in the TIFF screening, which was overcrowded, I know for a fact that I must have irritated the people beside me as several times I must have sunk into my seat and buried my head in my palms while I yelled “No, no, no” more than the required volume. That is how funny this movie was to me.
In it, Tim Robinson portrays an embarrassing, socially incompetent suburban man who, in spite of his shortcomings, has a stunning wife (Kate Mara) who tolerates his craziness and actually has a pretty nice, if sinister, job that involves creating apps that are difficult to resist. However, his entire life undergoes a radical shift when his new neighbor, a local TV weatherman named Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), develops a friendship with him.
As such, he aims directly at the target his perpetual iceman charm. Most people reading this probably wish they could become Rudd’s best friend, hence it’s pretty easy to see why Robinson is so keen on trying to win him over. The movie opens up as a mock documentary about two vertically dominant friends similar to an indie style I Love You Man and later develops into something much more subversive.
As for Friendship, it can easily be classified as a hit for foreign distributors, for it has, more than any other film I’ve seen this year at the festival, potential to reach cult status among its comedy fan base which will make them watch it zillion times. It’s painful to sit through horrific moments at times but it is also gut vbusting, with barely any scenes that can’t be quoted (just the sight of Robinson getting nuts over the MCU is bound to trend) and actors T Boy the teenage drug dealer being a classic example, who might just end up becoming a fashion statement for such screenings in the future.
What’s most intriguing is the way it doesn’t shy away from portraying the struggle of forging new friendships over the age of thirty especially for men. Indeed, it’s not always in our programming and as we progress through the years, we slowly retreat into a cave with our kin and further family. Not everyone is like that, but with some people watching this will empathize how vulgar and obsessed Robinson’s character towards Rudd is as he desires to be his best friend in a matter of seconds, something that is a bit farfetched if not completely stupid.
The supporting cast is also pretty solid, with Kate Mara’s less ostentatious sense of humor warm and funny through the entirety of the film. It is especially refreshing to see in a film of this genre a character who has both agency and a sense of humour. Then Jack Dylan Grazer played the role of Robinson’s son, cool, and so strange, relationships with Robinson’s hot mom practically made it impossible to hold back the laughter.
It is hoped that Friendship will be picked up by someone, as the film literally raised the roof at TIFF’s Midnight Madness where it was the second best poster in its TIFF award category. This was executed by Andrew DeYoung (Our Flag Means Death) directing with plenty of style and also features a strong score composed by Keegan Dewitt. After all, who can dislike a great feeling that comes from watching a film with the spine tingling synth wave reinterpretation of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence theme at the beginning of the film. If this last line made you laugh, this is the perfect movie for you. I think that in a couple of years, the niche fandom of Friendship will continue to increase in size.
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