A friendship between a pair of ‘spoken for’ co-workers at a Chicago brewery gradually heats up in what has to be the sweetest, most romantic, and non-judgmental 90 minutes you’ll ever spend in the company of functioning alcoholics. With top comedic performances in Butter and now Drinking Buddies, Olivia Wilde has finally emerged as something more than an action figure or sex kitten du jour on Maxim’s Top 100. Ms. Wilde is but the jewel that crowns this year’s finest ensemble cast. Improvisational cinema is not normally my drug of choice, but a good movie is a good movie. Having shed his mumblecore cocoon, writer-director Joe Swanberg (LOL) coaxes more genuine human interaction in 5 minutes of Drinking Buddies than all of Judd Apatow’s improv olympics combined. You’re going to love this movie! With Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, and continued understated brilliance from Ron Livingston. (2013) — Scott Marks
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