On VOD - "Happy Christmas" (2014) - Director Joe Swanberg's 2013 Drama/Romantic Comedy, Drinking Buddies, was one of my absolute favorite films of last year- it was an unexpected charmer highlighted by naturalistic performances from its entire cast and a script that refreshingly avoided tired genre cliches. Happy Christmas finds Writer/Director Swanberg approaching this tale of an irresponsible, alcoholic young woman (Anna Kendrick) moving in with her older, filmmaker brother (Joe Swanberg) and trying to connect with his novelist wife (Melanie Lynskey) in a similar fashion, though the results are disappointingly slight.
The film is remarkably candid, with the cast putting in very good work, though the experience ultimately comes across as the pilot to a failed TV series that never had a follow-up episode. Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) and Lynskey (Up In The Air) are especially good here, all the more a shame in that the script wasn't fully fleshed out. Expect appearances by Mark Webber (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) as a potential love interest for Kendrick's conflicted "Jenny" while Lena Dunham (HBO's Girls) has a few scenes as her close, spunky friend.
Although Drinking Buddies featured an ambiguous ending, at least the film ended on a high note and felt complete- Happy Christmas leaves the viewer hanging with a painfully abrupt ending that should leave most viewers throwing their hands up in the air and asking aloud, "Is that it?" Surely there could have been a bit more narrative padding for the film's brisk run-time and some semblance of closure or resolution...
Worth a rental for those interested, though don't expect anything close to being profound or even all that memorable. Those inclined may want to fast-forward through the credits for a gag reel.
7.0 out of 10
Director: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Joe Swanberg, Mark Webber and Lena Dunham
Run-Time: 88 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language, drug use and some sexual content
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