Drinking Buddies

Olivia Wilde plays Kate, a microbrewery employee in a relationship with an OK but perhaps mismatched guy (Ron Livingston). Luke (Jake Johnson) is her coworker, the perfect guy for her, but he's in a relationship with a nice girl (Anna Kendrick) that also doesn't seem to be a perfect match. Writer-director Joe Swanberg takes this well-worn premise and does something altogether wonderful, funny and original with it. Wilde is a revelation in the main role. She's had a lot of showy Hollywood roles and this is by far her most naturalistic and best movie effort to date. She's sweet, funny, and just a little messed up. Johnson, so good in Safety Not Guaranteed, is equally good here, making Luke a more complex character than he first appears. Kendrick and Livingston are good in the less showy but equally important supporting roles. This is one of the summer's more pleasant surprises. Swanberg has a funny cameo, and you might recognize him if you are one of the twelve people who went to see You're Next. (Available for rent on iTunes and Amazon.com).