Joshy (2016)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Did you people see the same film I saw?

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

This popped up on a recommended watch list and I'm a sucker or Thomas Middleditch and Nick Kroll. Its a fun comedy that hits you right in the feels. Everything feels right on point with real life and connects with you. Every connection feels real, and no interactions felt out of place in this movie. Not slapstick funny like "The Hangover", but takes a slightly more solemn humor and has plenty of real moments to make this feel far more engaging, even when the strippers show up. I didn't read any reviews prior, and I feel that the general synopsis written makes you think "Hangover + Parks and Rec + Silicon Valley + some general depression and solemness". This movie takes some rote comedic humor like bachelor party drugs and strippers, and you start to see the haze of depression slowly clear. But not because of the partying, but because of each other and the things they experienced together. All in all, this was a great movie that felt like a brief interlude of someone going through a tough time. I was still engaged and connected to several characters, but when characters didn't reappear and hold hands and make out at the end or else where, it felt OK. You don't know what happened and that's fine, because you're just along for the ride.

I haven't been more pleased with a modest indie this year as I was with the daringly (and misleadingly) named Joshy, starring some very bright funny young comic actors, including Silicon Valley's hero Thomas Middleditch.It's not a stretch to say that Middleditch holds Mike Judge's usual- spot-on-brilliance together on the HBO series, yet it's tempting to relegate him to playing a very good "young tech type". Jeff Baena's Joshy doesn't exactly discard that perception of Middleditch but it's a fantastic vehicle for the actor's emotional range.But this film isn't a one man show. It's a brilliant ensemble cast of (mostly) guys, drawn together after disparate periods apart from each other to support Josh (Middleditch) who's suffered a pre-marital setback that redefines Awkward. It's such a clever device that I won't reveal it, though it comes in the first five minutes of the film.Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, and Bret Gelman kill with rapid-fire, naturally delivered one-liners that perfectly capture their age, maturity-level (or lack thereof), time and place (Ojai, CA -- very now), and most importantly their relation to each other as well as their biases, fears, and prejudices. It's been said the key to all drama is conflict and it works even better for comedy here. All the guys in this film have a lot going on, much more than they'd disclose about what they're really thinking, about Josh's horrific plight and about each other. It's also refreshing to see a film about guys being guys in Tech Culture 2016 without resorting to some half-baked Big Bang Theory clone. Even better, the indestructible Jenny Slate and Aubrey Plaza join in to kick the feminine factor through the solar-paned roof. Joe Swanberg even shows up in a hilarious cameo, inadvertently toting his wife and kids to this weekend-long drug and booze-filled orgython.Most impressively, Joshy could even give the tired Mumblecore genre, where "nothing and everything happens" a good name again after some recent major-league misfires ("Results"). The flow of events in Joshy is, like its so-appalling-its-almost-funny McGuffin, so organically developed and executed that it almost seems plausible.And just when you think there may really be *no* point, Middleditch slam-dunks an extremely cathartic last act monologue that is pain-filled and hypnotic.I really did not expect this from the director of Life After Beth or I Heart Huckabees. It only makes Joshy all the more sweeter.

The brief summary given about this story creates a different idea in ones head than what the movie actually delivers. And what the movie offers is a story of four complex guys that have come together to help Joshy get past his depression over the death of his fiancé. And as the weekend of trying to have fun evolves we learn that Joshy is just one of the guys having his own problem. Each one must deal with his own emotional self and girlfriend relationship disappointments.Joshy must deal with the death of his girlfriend, Ari questions his marriage, Alex gets dumped by his girlfriend of ten years, Eric has commitment issues, and Greg can't seem to find a girlfriend. Each character keeps his feelings bottled up except Alex who tries to rationalize his feelings and is willing to talk to anyone who will listen.The term 'male bonding' has been used to describe this movie but I believe it has nothing to do with bonding. Four of the five are close friends from the start and Greg was the 'guy who came along for the fun'. The story is actually about trying to avoid the issues at hand through booze, drugs, and strippers! Then near the end the five are forced by circumstance to come to terms with themselves and deal with life as best as one can.This is a talky movie and each actor does an excellent job at being the character they were cast to be. My favorite was Ari & Jodi - they seemed so perfect together as a couple. Director/writer: Jeff Baena succeeds in creating a story of what life is like more-so in reality than what we want it to be.

First off let me say that there are a few good, but not great actors in this movie. Whom I like in other TV Shows and Movies. So I thought that I might like this one. I was sadly mistaken. This movie didn't seem to have a scripted. It was like a non-funny "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" episode. I'm guessing the director just gave the actors a bio on each of their characters and let them improvise their lines. It's an interesting concept that didn't work. I really wanted to like this movie. I honestly tried to keep an open mind. It was just a chaotic mess right from the first. There was no part in the movie that I found funny, humorous or slightly witty. Don't wast your time on this one.