This movie is unique in a whole lot of small, simple, good ways. For one thing, unlike most adult male friendship movies, beer, flatulence, sex and war are not factors. And unlike most independent, small relationship movies, it doesn't bend over to kiss some smug arty film-goer's butt with ridiculous new-age metrosexual renaissance men.
Fred and Vinnie are these two semi-outsidery meek guys with a realistically warm and supportive long-distance friendship. Then you see this simple and realistic change happening when they actually, awkwardly, wind up living together.
There are goofball comedy moments and clever-funny moments and definitely there's a ton of pathos ... so it's a little hard to characterize. In the end, it's more of a think-piece than anything else. But it doesn't seem that way at the time you're watching it, which is a good thing.
I love that it doesn't condescend or get deliberately deep. It doesn't have any pretense. The movie's whole look, and the score and everything has sort of a grown up Charlie Brown vibe.
The characters (Fred and Vinnie) are painfully sincere and pretty isolated in the world. They count on the friendship. They need one another. The particulars of who they are and their ridiculous delusions ... these things make them feel like people and not products of a screenwriter's mind (Fred is played by the real Fred, who wrote the thing based on a chapter in his life, and Vinnie is played by this incredible Angelo Tsouchas (sp?) actor guy).
It sounds dumb any time you talk about deep stuff, but this little movie really hits all the big universal quandaries in human relationships. How close is too close? Are we really our brother's keeper? How can I appreciate you if you won't go away?
Fred and Vinnie are these two semi-outsidery meek guys with a realistically warm and supportive long-distance friendship. Then you see this simple and realistic change happening when they actually, awkwardly, wind up living together.
There are goofball comedy moments and clever-funny moments and definitely there's a ton of pathos ... so it's a little hard to characterize. In the end, it's more of a think-piece than anything else. But it doesn't seem that way at the time you're watching it, which is a good thing.
I love that it doesn't condescend or get deliberately deep. It doesn't have any pretense. The movie's whole look, and the score and everything has sort of a grown up Charlie Brown vibe.
The characters (Fred and Vinnie) are painfully sincere and pretty isolated in the world. They count on the friendship. They need one another. The particulars of who they are and their ridiculous delusions ... these things make them feel like people and not products of a screenwriter's mind (Fred is played by the real Fred, who wrote the thing based on a chapter in his life, and Vinnie is played by this incredible Angelo Tsouchas (sp?) actor guy).
It sounds dumb any time you talk about deep stuff, but this little movie really hits all the big universal quandaries in human relationships. How close is too close? Are we really our brother's keeper? How can I appreciate you if you won't go away?