“Friendship“Has proven to be a surprising mini-breakout for A24. That it Tim Robinson-led film Have their critical masters and devoted the following is to expect, but it is surprising that the dark, anxiety-inducing, so-called Cringe comedy could make an extended theater driving before he became the highest ranked film at HBO Max when it made his streaming debut this last weekend.
When “Friendship“Author/director Andrew deyoung Be a guest on this week’s episode of filmmaker Toolkit PodcastHe admitted that he was not prepared for the volume of laughter that the movie received during its first festival shows.
“When I saw it on Tiff, I didn’t realize I did this kind of movie, “Deyoung said about the audience’s laugh.” When I saw it with a crowd I was like, “I can’t believe it, did I” live 3 “by mistake?” ”
While Deyoung has learned credit is due to Robinson’s Rabiat Fanbase and the rough SXSW and Toronto’s Midnight Madness audience, he has also realized that the film’s humor meets more difficult than he expected – it is partly because he did not try to make a traditional comedy.
“I’m not a big fan of most comedy films because I think it’s missing something really under,” Deyoung said. “I respect many (comedies), I look, I laugh and I don’t think about them ever again.”
Deyoung seriously engraves against more “uncomfortable” comedies, such as Scorsese “King of Comedy”, or works by Swedish director Ruben Östlund (“Triangle of Sadness”
When it comes to “friendship”, Deyoung looks under the surface on questions that political scientist Robert D. Putnam wrote about in his landmark 2000 book, “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.”
“I went deep into (Putnam’s) work,” Deyoung said. “He pointed to the complete lack of society in (modern) American life that I think we all feel.”
The common void is felt by Craig Waterman (Robinson) after the closing of his short friendship with Austin (Paul Rudd), the cool new neighbor who in the first act magically injects Craig’s life with a male peel group, outdoor adventure, jam sessions and evening hangers. After Austin suddenly ends his friendship, Craig is desperate to get back what he lost and to refill that void, trigger more and more unpleasant behavior that culminates in losing his job, family and freedom.
These are not things of a regular American comedy, but neither Deyoung’s model of what a comedy should be. While on podcast, The “Friendship” author/director discussed the eye -opening moment when he was a teenager and saw Chris Smith’s “American movie”, a documentary about a Wisconsin filmmaker trying to complete his horror movie with a low budget in the middle of a series of setbacks and personal problems.
“I know it’s a doctor, but for me (‘American movie’) is what comedy should be, because it is desperate people trying their condemned to do something of themselves,” Deyoung said. “And the camera should preferably be on duty for the real feelings. I feel this on TV – because I work a lot on TV – when things are so bright, I suddenly are,” all these characters are in a goal. “It removes the feeling.”
Deyoung added, “It is also (that) we are abundance now, especially things that look technically correct, but are so damn boring. So I’m happy to drive it even longer and play with the picture and make it feel” real “or dark as possible.”
Deyoung and film photographer Andy Rydzewski throw Craig to increasing literal darkness, so much so, as the film progresses that it stylistically adopts aspects of the horror genre.
“As soon as (Craig and Austin’s) division happens, (the movie) starts to get into it (darkness) because it is the anxiety to lose someone, which you want to join, which I feel feels like a horror movie for most of us, especially if they meet a certain amount of your needs that you do not know how to meet yourself,” said deyoung. “That’s why we prefer to laugh and get rid of the excitement, but it’s the two emotions at the same time (it) is really rewarding for me. It is fertile basis for the story to have both places – both, I get laughter, but I’m also in this tense,” I’m not sure (what) will happen “(feeling).”
This is where deyoung points to Paul Thomas AndersonA director he has studied intensively, and whose Philip Seymour Hoffman 2012 and Joaquin Phoenix-led ”Master“Had a great influence on him, partly because of Anderson’s ability to create scenes that have simultaneous and contradictory feelings.
Said Deyoung from Anderson, “There is something rewarding about not shooting you, the viewer, to a kind of expectation or a certain feeling. He is so good to give some feelings that you have to choose from, and for me I think he respects the audience so much.”
Deyoung also claims that PTA’s films are much more fun than people give them credit – some “friendship” fans have helped him accept his own movie.
To hear Andrew deyoungwhole interview, subscribe to Filmmaker tolkit podcast on AppleThe SpotifyOr your favorite podcast platform.
