YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
A movie review by Joe Barlow
(c) Copyright 1998
STARRING: Jason Patric, Ben Stiller, Aaron Eckhart, Amy Brenneman,
Catherine Keener, Nastassja Kinski
DIRECTOR: Neil LaBute
WRITERS: Neil LaBute
RATED/YEAR: R/1998
RATING: *** 1/2 (out of a possible *****)
To call "Your Friends and Neighbors" a dark film is to call The Beatles a moderately successful band. This feature, the second from writer/director Neil LaBute, continues his tradition of placing despicable characters in unpleasant situations, a motif he introduced with last year's "In the Company of Men."
The story revolves around the lives of three couples (identified in the film's end credits as Jerry, Cheri, Terri, Cary, Barry and Mary, though their names are never spoken in the film). All six of our characters are unhappy with their love life, and several of them decide to make a change... though none of them realize the others are also miserable. They don't know it at the time, but their actions will actually leave them more unfulfilled than they were before.
The casting is interesting. Jason Patric, the villain from "Speed 2," is the film's most loathesome character: a doctor who practices "sex talk" when he's alone so he can sound sincere in bed. He berates his lover for daring to have her period, fondly recalls raping a high-school classmate, and absently plays "catch" with a plastic fetus while talking on the phone, eventually drop-kicking it down the hospital hallway. (I was reminded of Ike from "South Park": "Don't kick the baby!")
Ben Stiller is a college professor whose relationship is on the rocks because he likes to talk during sex, a quirk that his girlfriend hates. Her coldness doesn't bother him, though, since he's got the hots for Amy Brenneman, a beautiful writer who's working on an article about the art of lovemaking. She's obviously attracted to Ben as well, and all would be well if she didn't happen to be the wife of his best friend.
Aaron Eckhart, the most twisted person from "In the Company of Men," is one of this film's most likeable characters. He's the only guy who doesn't really do anything wrong: he loves his wife and would never dream of being unfaithful, although he is frustrated with her conservative approach to sex. He confesses to his friends that although he adores her, she is unable to provide him with the kind of pleasure he can achieve with his own hand.
Stiller's girlfriend, played by Catherine Keener, meets Nastassja Kinski, an assistant artist employed at a local gallery. Their friendship quickly grows complicated, progressing from strangers to buddies to lesbianism over the course of three scenes. Kinski is the closest thing to a voice of reason contained in the film: all five of the other characters wander into the art gallery at some point and engage in frightfully similar (and hilarious) conversations with her. Along with Eckhart, Kinski is the only truly likeable character. Sweet and loyal, she's determined to do everything she can to make her new lesbian lover happy... to the point of smothering her with kindness.
That's our cast and storyline, and in case you missed it, I'll reiterate: this is a BLEAK film. It's a train-wreck: the sight is horrible and appaling, but you can't turn away. LaBute has crafted a movie so shocking that it can't really qualify as entertainment; however, the message is an important one. If you've ever thought about cheating on the one you love, I promise, this film will change your mind.
LaBute wants the audience to squirm, and he achieves his goal by grabbing our noses and pulling us into his world. We have no distance from any of the characters; the film is shot almost entirely with close- ups, a little touch that made me fidget uncomfortably in my seat. This, coupled with the fact that none of the characters' names are given in the course of the story, provides an intimate yet anonymous portrait of six lives on the fast track to disaster.
I watched the "lesbian" portions of the film with some amusement. Since the release of "Chasing Amy," it seems that all independent movies are required to include a character who suddenly realizes that he or she is either gay or bisexual midway through the show. "Your Friends and Neighbors" does not disappoint in that regard. I'd criticize this trend a little more if my own indie screenplay, "Four Sides of the Triangle," didn't have the exact same problem. Oops.
I've awarded this film three and one-half stars out of a possible five, which is surely the highest rating I've ever given to a movie that I did not particularly enjoy. But this is not a mistake: I don't think LaBute intends for us to LIKE the film. He wants to make us miserable, and thereby warn us of the effects that cheating and dishonesty can have on a relationship. He accomplishes his goal: no one who sees this movie will forget the lesson. I truly believe that every person in the world should watch "Your Friends and Neighbors" at least once. It would do much to solve society's marital problems.
(Oh, one interesting thing I noticed. In "There's Something About Mary," Ben Stiller plays a really nice guy obsessed with a woman named Mary. In "Your Friends and Neighbors," Ben Stiller plays a really creepy guy obsessed with a woman named Mary. I've heard of typecasting an actor, but this is ridiculous.)
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