Un weekend al limite

Movie director Jeff Baena committed suicide earlier this month, so I decided to watch one of his movies in his memory. I'd never seen 2016's "Joshy", so I rented that. While there's nothing particularly special about the movie, it's still a decent look at some friends getting together for their planned bachelor party after the main character's fiancée commits suicide. These guys just do what they can to have fun, including some bro stuff.

I guess that it seems like the sort of movie that they just made for fun, but it's an enjoyable movie nonetheless. In addition to Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Nick Kroll, Alex Ross Perry and Brett Gelman, the cast includes Jenny Slate, Lauren Graham, Aubrey Plaza (whom Baena later married) and Alison Brie.

Baena later cast Aubrey Plaza and Alison Brie as nuns in "The Little Hours" (2017).

I watched this with no prior knowledge of what it would be and was very pleasantly surprised. There's a great cast, all of whom I've seen and enjoyed in their various TV shows. The story is about a group of friends on a weekend retreat bonding after a traumatic event and it's mostly just conversations and mundane character interactions, usually involving drinking and drugs.

Some of it was absolutely hilarious and some of it was very emotional, yet it all felt very real. It's not a mind blowing or deep film but it's brisk, fun and well acted. A great low key adult comedy! Definitely recommended.

This movie is not a comedy. There are some funny parts and the actors and actresses all play their characters perfectly, but it's not a comedy. This is more like a Lost in Translation or Garden State. It's a movie about people gathering after an event and the events that transpire during that time. As much as this is a Thomas Middleditch movie, Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate really steal the show. I think they may have the most dialogue in the movie with Brett Gelman coming in third. It's a really well written and well acted movie. It won't change your life, but it won't ruin it either. Take some time out to watch a movie about events and the people within them, even if the conclusion isn't what you thought it would be.

The brief summary given about this story creates a different idea in ones head than what the movie actually delivers. And what the movie offers is a story of four complex guys that have come together to help Joshy get past his depression over the death of his fiancé. And as the weekend of trying to have fun evolves we learn that Joshy is just one of the guys having his own problem. Each one must deal with his own emotional self and girlfriend relationship disappointments.

Joshy must deal with the death of his girlfriend, Ari questions his marriage, Alex gets dumped by his girlfriend of ten years, Eric has commitment issues, and Greg can't seem to find a girlfriend. Each character keeps his feelings bottled up except Alex who tries to rationalize his feelings and is willing to talk to anyone who will listen.

The term 'male bonding' has been used to describe this movie but I believe it has nothing to do with bonding. Four of the five are close friends from the start and Greg was the 'guy who came along for the fun'. The story is actually about trying to avoid the issues at hand through booze, drugs, and strippers! Then near the end the five are forced by circumstance to come to terms with themselves and deal with life as best as one can.

This is a talky movie and each actor does an excellent job at being the character they were cast to be. My favorite was Ari & Jodi - they seemed so perfect together as a couple. Director/writer: Jeff Baena succeeds in creating a story of what life is like more-so in reality than what we want it to be.

A light movie to watch. Good jokes and comedy but not entirely , and that's why we have too much haters.

A random party weekend with a beauty message : "This is a story about friendship"

And no guys is not trying to be "The Hangover" ...