Bachelor party

I haven't been more pleased with a modest indie this year as I was with the daringly (and misleadingly) named Joshy, starring some very bright funny young comic actors, including Silicon Valley's hero Thomas Middleditch.

It's not a stretch to say that Middleditch holds Mike Judge's usual- spot-on-brilliance together on the HBO series, yet it's tempting to relegate him to playing a very good "young tech type". Jeff Baena's Joshy doesn't exactly discard that perception of Middleditch but it's a fantastic vehicle for the actor's emotional range.

But this film isn't a one man show. It's a brilliant ensemble cast of (mostly) guys, drawn together after disparate periods apart from each other to support Josh (Middleditch) who's suffered a pre-marital setback that redefines Awkward. It's such a clever device that I won't reveal it, though it comes in the first five minutes of the film.

Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, and Bret Gelman kill with rapid-fire, naturally delivered one-liners that perfectly capture their age, maturity-level (or lack thereof), time and place (Ojai, CA -- very now), and most importantly their relation to each other as well as their biases, fears, and prejudices. It's been said the key to all drama is conflict and it works even better for comedy here. All the guys in this film have a lot going on, much more than they'd disclose about what they're really thinking, about Josh's horrific plight and about each other. It's also refreshing to see a film about guys being guys in Tech Culture 2016 without resorting to some half-baked Big Bang Theory clone. Even better, the indestructible Jenny Slate and Aubrey Plaza join in to kick the feminine factor through the solar-paned roof. Joe Swanberg even shows up in a hilarious cameo, inadvertently toting his wife and kids to this weekend-long drug and booze-filled orgython.

Most impressively, Joshy could even give the tired Mumblecore genre, where "nothing and everything happens" a good name again after some recent major-league misfires ("Results"). The flow of events in Joshy is, like its so-appalling-its-almost-funny McGuffin, so organically developed and executed that it almost seems plausible.

And just when you think there may really be *no* point, Middleditch slam-dunks an extremely cathartic last act monologue that is pain-filled and hypnotic.

I really did not expect this from the director of Life After Beth or I Heart Huckabees. It only makes Joshy all the more sweeter.

I was unsure about this movie at first- seeing Nick Kroll in a more serious role made me nervous. I am so incredibly surprised. This movie is raw and emotional while having the appropriate amount of comic relief. I felt like I wanted to hang out with this group of people. Everyone has their stories. Everyone has their hardships. Who knows what the future will hold? I will definitely be seeking out more films by the writers. It's such a refreshing and real movie!

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.

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 was actually very surprised by this movie and how good it was from start to finish. The time flew by and the actors all did a great job. I won't give any spoilers away and don't want to be so vague but it's basically a movie about a group of friends that are on a weekend to try and help their buddy deal with feelings that have been suppressed. There are some very funny moments and the actors do a great job with what they were given to make you feel as though you are there with them. The way they all interact was quite well done and you get a real sense that these people actually care deeply about one another. It's a comedy with a serious topic and they do an excellent job. I highly recommend this indie type movie that deals with sadness with a bit of partying and friends with a good sense of humor.