There is a lot to like. The performances are great (especially the supporting cast) and the dialogue is economic and quietly amusing. There are no wasted scenes as we transition through several episodes over the course of several years to watch our two lead men tussle with a difficult friendship.
The camerawork is excellent, full of fluid scenes that are nicely blocked and visually engaging. It feels like they put time and effort into rehearsal.
The humour is darkly subtle. I found it very funny. It makes some strong references to Claude Sautet and, whilst not in his league, the ambition to reach those heights is on full display. Enough to make me want to keep an eye on writer/director Covino.
The biggest flaw is that, as a story about friendship, we never really get to see the friendship prior to the plot. We start immediately with their dilemma. This is good for viewer engagement as the story kicks off from the very first scene, but I never felt like I knew how the friends became close, or why.
That's not enough to stop from enjoying what's on offer here. It's got style and it clearly isn't brainless. It's a well-made, very amusing film from a promising director.
The camerawork is excellent, full of fluid scenes that are nicely blocked and visually engaging. It feels like they put time and effort into rehearsal.
The humour is darkly subtle. I found it very funny. It makes some strong references to Claude Sautet and, whilst not in his league, the ambition to reach those heights is on full display. Enough to make me want to keep an eye on writer/director Covino.
The biggest flaw is that, as a story about friendship, we never really get to see the friendship prior to the plot. We start immediately with their dilemma. This is good for viewer engagement as the story kicks off from the very first scene, but I never felt like I knew how the friends became close, or why.
That's not enough to stop from enjoying what's on offer here. It's got style and it clearly isn't brainless. It's a well-made, very amusing film from a promising director.