Friendship

Friendship
Starring Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer
Directed by Andrew DeYoung

There's an epidemic hitting America, and that's called the "male loneliness epidemic." It refers to the observation that men are disproportionately impacted by loneliness, as generally it's harder for men to find good friends as opposed to women. Men, typically, are focused on career, family, and economy and delve so much into their hobbies that they don't really take the time to make friends of the same gender. "Friendship" is a movie that focuses on that, but also shows what happens when you go completely overboard and find yourself unhealthily obsessed with a friend.

Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) is a man living in solitude - he works his typical 9-5, doesn't really interact with people, and has a strained marriage to his cancer-surviving wife Tami (Kate Mara) and an uneven relationship with his son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Tami talks about hanging out with her ex, and Craig is clearly upset by it but has issues showing it, and doesn't want to go out, until he's invited by his neighbor Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd) for a beer. Austin is the local weatherman and also plays in a punk band and has exciting hobbies - all of which draws Craig to him. Yet as he's drawn to him, Craig also shows his aloofness in uncomfortable ways, culminating in a disastrous night when he's invited to a party at Austin's house. The friendship now completely over in Austin's mind, Craig can't get over the fact that he lost his only friend. Everything else begins to spiral around him as he finds himself digging a deeper and deeper hole that seems impossible to dig out from, leaving him with very little options to move on with his life.

When I was younger I was someone who yearned for friendship, especially after college, and not being able to really find it. I was lacking social skills and once I actually found a friend, I would become so attached to them they would get sick of being around me. As the years went by, I learned to love myself and see the world in a different light, and now I have several healthy friendships that I appreciate more than anything. That being said, I completely felt for Craig and the plight he found himself in, at least most of the time. It's clear he has some sort of mental disorder like Autism, because he fully expresses himself in every situation no matter how uncomfortable it is. He is the person at the party who tries to stand out, but instead stands out for all the wrong reasons. He is brash and abrasive, condescending, and lacking normal social cues that makes it almost impossible for him to find a friend, or even hold down a family. It's extremely off-putting to say the least.

This is due to the impeccable performance from Tim Robinson, who's sketch comedy show "I Think You Should Leave" makes this a pitch-perfect role for him. The series is considered "cringe comedy" because it focuses on uncomfortable situations whose goal is to drive someone to to the point of needing, or wanting, to leave. Robinson cranks his role to 10 here, as Craig is obviously a volcano that's about to erupt at any moment. His friendship with Austin is something he sees as a necessity and an obsession, whereas Austin becomes quickly tired of his antics (especially at the aforementioned party). Craig doesn't understand the friendship is over, and in his mind he still thinks he and Austin are best friends. As the film progresses, he becomes more and more unhinged with reality where it puts an incredible strain on his marriage and his son, where Craig possibly can lose everything by the end. Robinson is both sympathetic and irritating, yet you never think he deserves what happens to him, at least not entirely. There's always a hint of sympathy no matter what he does, and there's more than one moment where you'll cringe in your seat due to what he does.

Paul Rudd's Austin serves as Craig's obsession, a local weatherman who seemingly has it all - a group of friends, a loving wife, a glamorous job, but he also is someone who goes by the seat of his pants. He has a carefree lifestyle - at least in Craig's eyes - and can do no wrong. He's everything Craig wants to be, so he not only idolizes him, but he wants to be him. It's a creepy obsession that is grounded by Robinson, and Rudd serves as perfect fodder for an unhinged character.

The film is comedic, but the comedy relies on how uncomfortable you are for the characters. Craig is terrible socially, and doesn't seem to understand the basics of friendship as a whole, which could've been depressing if not for the comedy. Sure it's dark, but you'll still find yourself laughing through several uncomfortable moments thanks to Robinson's comedic timing and straight-laced delivery. Watching his life crashing and burning is sad, but also a bit funny when you think about it - but ultimately you're left feeling bad for the guy, and for people in the world who are like that: the kind that probably will never have a real friendship in their life.

The Score: A+ 

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