Humpday
Starring Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, and Alycia Delmore
Directed by Lynn Shelton
Starring Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, and Alycia Delmore
Directed by Lynn Shelton
In the words of one of the characters from this witty indie comedy, Humpday is the tale of "two straight dudes bonin'." Okay, it's not about that at all (even though it sort of is), but that line made me laugh. It's obvious that director/writer Lynn Shelton crafted a general outline of a plot and set her three main actors free to create their own lines. There's a sense of genuine spontaneity here that isn't easily captured on film, but there really wasn't a false note of dialog in the flick.
When thirtysomething Andrew (Zack Galifianakis look-alike Joshua Leonard) shows up on his old college buddy Ben's (Duplass) doorstep at 2am one night, the two rekindle their old friendship from years ago. While Andrew still travels around the world with no real job, Ben's life has completely changed -- he's got a "real" job and a lovely wife (Delmore). One night, Andrew invites Ben to meet some "artsy" liberal friends who discuss a Seattle film festival known as Humpfest where amateur filmmakers create porn films that then get destroyed following the fest. In a drunken stupor, Ben proposes that he and Andrew have sex and videotape it for the event. The following day, the two best friends find themselves in a conundrum -- they don't want to back down from this difficult challenge for fear of being labeled as "pussies," but they're not exactly thrilled with the prospect of sleeping with one another.
It may sound risqué, but it's actually incredibly tame, and I strongly suggest that anyone thinking of not seeing this based on an uncomfortable notion they may have toward the premise (I'll admit that's why I didn't go see it at the Ritz this summer) give this clever flick a chance. The final fifteen minutes is really the denouement I was hoping for and it's presented in such a way that felt spot-on, thanks in part to the great work of Duplass and Leonard. Kudos also to Delmore who plays Ben's wife with just the right amount of confusion and love in regards to her husband and his crazy new scheme.
When thirtysomething Andrew (Zack Galifianakis look-alike Joshua Leonard) shows up on his old college buddy Ben's (Duplass) doorstep at 2am one night, the two rekindle their old friendship from years ago. While Andrew still travels around the world with no real job, Ben's life has completely changed -- he's got a "real" job and a lovely wife (Delmore). One night, Andrew invites Ben to meet some "artsy" liberal friends who discuss a Seattle film festival known as Humpfest where amateur filmmakers create porn films that then get destroyed following the fest. In a drunken stupor, Ben proposes that he and Andrew have sex and videotape it for the event. The following day, the two best friends find themselves in a conundrum -- they don't want to back down from this difficult challenge for fear of being labeled as "pussies," but they're not exactly thrilled with the prospect of sleeping with one another.
It may sound risqué, but it's actually incredibly tame, and I strongly suggest that anyone thinking of not seeing this based on an uncomfortable notion they may have toward the premise (I'll admit that's why I didn't go see it at the Ritz this summer) give this clever flick a chance. The final fifteen minutes is really the denouement I was hoping for and it's presented in such a way that felt spot-on, thanks in part to the great work of Duplass and Leonard. Kudos also to Delmore who plays Ben's wife with just the right amount of confusion and love in regards to her husband and his crazy new scheme.
The RyMickey Rating: B+
No comments:
Post a Comment