Bridge project points to the future of arts festivals
Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way.
With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust.
It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances.
Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase.
With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing.
"I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said.
"In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming."
Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH.
The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum.
Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists.
At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light.
There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij.
On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels.
Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones.
Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens.
Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina.
"Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said.
"I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time."
Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette.
Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way.
With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust.
It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances.
Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase.
With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing.
"I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said.
"In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming."
Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH.
The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum.
Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists.
At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light.
There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij.
On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels.
Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones.
Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens.
Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina.
"Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said.
"I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time."
Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette.
Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way.
With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust.
It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances.
Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase.
With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing.
"I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said.
"In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming."
Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH.
The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum.
Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists.
At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light.
There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij.
On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels.
Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones.
Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens.
Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina.
"Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said.
"I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time."
Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
Global art and design duo Craig & Karl are returning to their hometown for the Brisbane Festival, transforming three of the city's bridges with their colourful palette.
Craig Redman and Karl Maier will design artworks for Brisbane's Neville Bonner, Goodwill, and Kangaroo Point bridges as part of a project titled ANZ's Walk This Way.
With naming rights granted to a big four bank, it is one of several attractions on the 2025 slate with prominent corporate backing - another is a fireworks display marking the opening weekend, titled Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust.
It's part of artistic director Louise Bezzina's sixth and final festival, which features a slate of more than 1000 performances.
Of those, 475 are free to the public, even as production costs continue to increase.
With the hunt for the next artistic director underway, Bezzina says corporate support is vital to the future of the festival, along with philanthropic and government backing.
"I don't feel like there's any artistic compromise," she said.
"In fact without it, it simply wouldn't be possible to deliver a program of this scale, and particularly with the amount of free programming."
Corporate partnerships are on brand for Craig & Karl, who are these days based in New York and London, and have worked with companies such as Nike, Apple, Google, Vogue, and LVMH.
The duo is also presenting a citywide art trail and an exhibition at the Griffith University Art Museum.
Over 23 days, the Brisbane Festival will feature the work of 2260 artists.
At the launch of the program on Wednesday, burlesque performer Bettie Bombshell played with fire in a preview of cabaret show Gatsby at the Green Light.
There was also a sneak peek at The Lovers, a pop-music reinterpretation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Brisbane company Shake & Stir's artistic director Nick Skubij.
On the dance slate, renowned French choreographer Benjamin Millepied is staging three works with LA Dance Project, the triptych Gems, commissioned by luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels.
Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page also returns to his hometown with Baleen Moondjan, which will be staged on a barge on the Brisbane River among a set of giant whalebones.
Free offerings also include the mass attractions of a drone display titled Skylore, and a trail of candlelit artworks at the City Botanic Gardens.
Yet in the background, Australian cultural festivals are being staged in an increasingly politicised environment, according to Bezzina.
"Art is inherently political and it's a really difficult and challenging area to navigate," she said.
"I don't have any answers for you, but I hope we can lean into a more compassionate place, that allows us to navigate through this really tumultuous time."
Brisbane Festival runs from September 5-27, with tickets on sale from Wednesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
3 days ago
- The Age
Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson and the art of social suicide
FRIENDSHIP ★★½ CTC. 100 minutes. In cinemas July 17 Friendship is a comedy of embarrassment. It may make you may laugh or, like me, you may spend most of the film muttering, 'No, don't do it.' It's an absurdist take on male friendship. Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) has no friends of either sex. In contrast, his wife, Tami (Kate Mara), who readily admits that their sex life is far from orgasmic, has many friends. In the film's opening scene, she's about to go out with one who also happens to be an ex-boyfriend. Craig, on the other hand, is staying home alone in front of the television, having failed to persuade their teenage son to watch the latest Marvel movie with him. This routine changes abruptly when Craig meets the family's new neighbour, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a TV weatherman who fancies himself an adventurer. Instead of saying 'see you later' at the end of their first meeting, he points a finger at Craig and cries: 'Stay curious!' Instantly entranced, Craig takes him seriously and Austin, deciding that he's an affable eccentric with entertainment value, starts hanging out with him. They go on adventures together and Craig begins to loosen up with predictably mortifying consequences. The film's director, Andrew DeYoung, a friend of Robinson's, wrote the role especially for him by way of giving him the chance to elaborate on the kind of embarrassments he's been perpetrating in I Think You Should Leave Now, the sketch comedy series that has acquired a cult audience on Netflix. The typical Robinson character knows no boundaries. He's a juvenile variation on Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Whatever you say about Larry's tin-eared response to the sensitivities of others and his tenacity in holding a grudge, he's a grown-up. Robinson, however, is stuck in pre-adolescence. He's the naughtiest kid in the class, harbouring an obsession with bodily function jokes together with a bubbling desire to shock in the most bizarre way he can dream up. Naturally, he soon proves too much for Austin and after one particularly disastrous evening, Austin tells Craig that they're breaking up. The friendship is over.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson and the art of social suicide
FRIENDSHIP ★★½ CTC. 100 minutes. In cinemas July 17 Friendship is a comedy of embarrassment. It may make you may laugh or, like me, you may spend most of the film muttering, 'No, don't do it.' It's an absurdist take on male friendship. Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) has no friends of either sex. In contrast, his wife, Tami (Kate Mara), who readily admits that their sex life is far from orgasmic, has many friends. In the film's opening scene, she's about to go out with one who also happens to be an ex-boyfriend. Craig, on the other hand, is staying home alone in front of the television, having failed to persuade their teenage son to watch the latest Marvel movie with him. This routine changes abruptly when Craig meets the family's new neighbour, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a TV weatherman who fancies himself an adventurer. Instead of saying 'see you later' at the end of their first meeting, he points a finger at Craig and cries: 'Stay curious!' Instantly entranced, Craig takes him seriously and Austin, deciding that he's an affable eccentric with entertainment value, starts hanging out with him. They go on adventures together and Craig begins to loosen up with predictably mortifying consequences. The film's director, Andrew DeYoung, a friend of Robinson's, wrote the role especially for him by way of giving him the chance to elaborate on the kind of embarrassments he's been perpetrating in I Think You Should Leave Now, the sketch comedy series that has acquired a cult audience on Netflix. The typical Robinson character knows no boundaries. He's a juvenile variation on Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm. Whatever you say about Larry's tin-eared response to the sensitivities of others and his tenacity in holding a grudge, he's a grown-up. Robinson, however, is stuck in pre-adolescence. He's the naughtiest kid in the class, harbouring an obsession with bodily function jokes together with a bubbling desire to shock in the most bizarre way he can dream up. Naturally, he soon proves too much for Austin and after one particularly disastrous evening, Austin tells Craig that they're breaking up. The friendship is over.
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- The Advertiser
Man, friendship has its challenges - just ask adult blokes
Friendship (M, 100 minutes) 4 stars It's not breaking news to say men don't always do friendship very well. I've heard it said that while female friendship is largely face to face - communicating - male friendship tends to be side by side - doing an activity together. Emotional vulnerability is not necessarily what men are good at, but sometimes they're not even very adroit at the basic social rituals and dynamics of maleness. This is a film about something that will be painfully familiar to many men. Making new friends can be hard, especially as you get older, and closeness is even harder. If you're not a natural joiner or someone who's gregarious and prepossessing, it's tough to break into established friendship groups or ingratiate yourself with individuals, isn't it? Asking for a friend. Many scenes from this dark comedy feel like they could have been skits in Netflix's I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson. There's the same blend of cringiness and deft exaggeration seen in that show's best bits, and its eponymous star and co-creator plays the lead role here. He was an obvious choice, but he's not the movie's primary creative force. Friendship is the feature film debut of writer-director Andrew DeYoung, who's worked extensively in TV. And very impressive it is too, a comedy that's not entirely predictable and that has something to say. Craig (Robinson) is a suburban husband and father whose life isn't going too well. His marriage to cancer survivor Tami (Kate Mara) is shaky - he's emotionally distant and clumsy, not even terribly supportive of the flower business she runs from home. And things aren't great with his teenage son Steven (Jack Dylan Glazer) either: mother and son have a close bond that eludes him. Craig is not evil, just clueless and a bit insensitive, a square peg in life's round hole. It's not surprising his wife is reconnecting with her ex (as friends, she says) and also not surprising that Craig feels threatened by this but doesn't know how to deal with it. The arrival of a new neighbour seems it will be just the thing to reinvigorate Craig and his connection to life. Austin (Paul Rudd) is a local celebrity, a popular TV weatherman who's very personable. He and Craig quickly hit it off and do things. Austin takes Craig exploring in the town's aqueduct, Craig goes to see Austin's punk rock band perform. This new friendship even helps Craig forge better relationships with his wife and son. It seems too good to be true, and, of course, it is. Craig is maladroit and so desperate he acts inappropriately. He crashes Austin's studio during a broadcast and, invited to a guys' night with Austin and his friends, he injures his host. What he does to try to atone for it is bizarre and offputting. Exasperated, Austin tells him bluntly that the friendship is over. Being ostracised really stings and seeing Austin and his friends - who manage to be both blokey and sensitive - hanging out only gnaws at Craig more. His actions become increasingly obsessive and unhinged. The script contrives ways to bring the men together in the latter stages that occasionally jar but it's easy to just go with things. This is a comedy, but its serious undercurrent and measured tone and pace - this isn't a manic gagfest - might take getting used to, as might the unusual choice of ecclesiastical music on the soundtrack alongside tribal chants and pop songs. But it's the product of a distinctive talent behind the camera working with an excellent cast. DeYoung doesn't make the mistake of making Craig a monster or Austin a saint. Even when Craig is self-sabotaging and behaving badly, you can feel for him: a lot of it is borne of loneliness and desperation and not knowing how to fit in. Mara and Glazer don't get many comic opportunities but play off Robinson well. Although Austin is played by the likeable Rudd, there's something just a tiny bit offputting about him: if Craig is one of life's losers, Austin is a slick winner with a charmed life: even when the two are arrested for trespassing, the cops ask the weatherman for selfies. Austin has one vulnerability that Craig discovers: what will he do with it? Side note, it's interesting how many of the (male) characters casually smoke cigarettes, going against the trend in recent decades both on screen and off. It will be interesting to see what comes next from DeYoung. Friendship (M, 100 minutes) 4 stars It's not breaking news to say men don't always do friendship very well. I've heard it said that while female friendship is largely face to face - communicating - male friendship tends to be side by side - doing an activity together. Emotional vulnerability is not necessarily what men are good at, but sometimes they're not even very adroit at the basic social rituals and dynamics of maleness. This is a film about something that will be painfully familiar to many men. Making new friends can be hard, especially as you get older, and closeness is even harder. If you're not a natural joiner or someone who's gregarious and prepossessing, it's tough to break into established friendship groups or ingratiate yourself with individuals, isn't it? Asking for a friend. Many scenes from this dark comedy feel like they could have been skits in Netflix's I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson. There's the same blend of cringiness and deft exaggeration seen in that show's best bits, and its eponymous star and co-creator plays the lead role here. He was an obvious choice, but he's not the movie's primary creative force. Friendship is the feature film debut of writer-director Andrew DeYoung, who's worked extensively in TV. And very impressive it is too, a comedy that's not entirely predictable and that has something to say. Craig (Robinson) is a suburban husband and father whose life isn't going too well. His marriage to cancer survivor Tami (Kate Mara) is shaky - he's emotionally distant and clumsy, not even terribly supportive of the flower business she runs from home. And things aren't great with his teenage son Steven (Jack Dylan Glazer) either: mother and son have a close bond that eludes him. Craig is not evil, just clueless and a bit insensitive, a square peg in life's round hole. It's not surprising his wife is reconnecting with her ex (as friends, she says) and also not surprising that Craig feels threatened by this but doesn't know how to deal with it. The arrival of a new neighbour seems it will be just the thing to reinvigorate Craig and his connection to life. Austin (Paul Rudd) is a local celebrity, a popular TV weatherman who's very personable. He and Craig quickly hit it off and do things. Austin takes Craig exploring in the town's aqueduct, Craig goes to see Austin's punk rock band perform. This new friendship even helps Craig forge better relationships with his wife and son. It seems too good to be true, and, of course, it is. Craig is maladroit and so desperate he acts inappropriately. He crashes Austin's studio during a broadcast and, invited to a guys' night with Austin and his friends, he injures his host. What he does to try to atone for it is bizarre and offputting. Exasperated, Austin tells him bluntly that the friendship is over. Being ostracised really stings and seeing Austin and his friends - who manage to be both blokey and sensitive - hanging out only gnaws at Craig more. His actions become increasingly obsessive and unhinged. The script contrives ways to bring the men together in the latter stages that occasionally jar but it's easy to just go with things. This is a comedy, but its serious undercurrent and measured tone and pace - this isn't a manic gagfest - might take getting used to, as might the unusual choice of ecclesiastical music on the soundtrack alongside tribal chants and pop songs. But it's the product of a distinctive talent behind the camera working with an excellent cast. DeYoung doesn't make the mistake of making Craig a monster or Austin a saint. Even when Craig is self-sabotaging and behaving badly, you can feel for him: a lot of it is borne of loneliness and desperation and not knowing how to fit in. Mara and Glazer don't get many comic opportunities but play off Robinson well. Although Austin is played by the likeable Rudd, there's something just a tiny bit offputting about him: if Craig is one of life's losers, Austin is a slick winner with a charmed life: even when the two are arrested for trespassing, the cops ask the weatherman for selfies. Austin has one vulnerability that Craig discovers: what will he do with it? Side note, it's interesting how many of the (male) characters casually smoke cigarettes, going against the trend in recent decades both on screen and off. It will be interesting to see what comes next from DeYoung. Friendship (M, 100 minutes) 4 stars It's not breaking news to say men don't always do friendship very well. I've heard it said that while female friendship is largely face to face - communicating - male friendship tends to be side by side - doing an activity together. Emotional vulnerability is not necessarily what men are good at, but sometimes they're not even very adroit at the basic social rituals and dynamics of maleness. This is a film about something that will be painfully familiar to many men. Making new friends can be hard, especially as you get older, and closeness is even harder. If you're not a natural joiner or someone who's gregarious and prepossessing, it's tough to break into established friendship groups or ingratiate yourself with individuals, isn't it? Asking for a friend. Many scenes from this dark comedy feel like they could have been skits in Netflix's I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson. There's the same blend of cringiness and deft exaggeration seen in that show's best bits, and its eponymous star and co-creator plays the lead role here. He was an obvious choice, but he's not the movie's primary creative force. Friendship is the feature film debut of writer-director Andrew DeYoung, who's worked extensively in TV. And very impressive it is too, a comedy that's not entirely predictable and that has something to say. Craig (Robinson) is a suburban husband and father whose life isn't going too well. His marriage to cancer survivor Tami (Kate Mara) is shaky - he's emotionally distant and clumsy, not even terribly supportive of the flower business she runs from home. And things aren't great with his teenage son Steven (Jack Dylan Glazer) either: mother and son have a close bond that eludes him. Craig is not evil, just clueless and a bit insensitive, a square peg in life's round hole. It's not surprising his wife is reconnecting with her ex (as friends, she says) and also not surprising that Craig feels threatened by this but doesn't know how to deal with it. The arrival of a new neighbour seems it will be just the thing to reinvigorate Craig and his connection to life. Austin (Paul Rudd) is a local celebrity, a popular TV weatherman who's very personable. He and Craig quickly hit it off and do things. Austin takes Craig exploring in the town's aqueduct, Craig goes to see Austin's punk rock band perform. This new friendship even helps Craig forge better relationships with his wife and son. It seems too good to be true, and, of course, it is. Craig is maladroit and so desperate he acts inappropriately. He crashes Austin's studio during a broadcast and, invited to a guys' night with Austin and his friends, he injures his host. What he does to try to atone for it is bizarre and offputting. Exasperated, Austin tells him bluntly that the friendship is over. Being ostracised really stings and seeing Austin and his friends - who manage to be both blokey and sensitive - hanging out only gnaws at Craig more. His actions become increasingly obsessive and unhinged. The script contrives ways to bring the men together in the latter stages that occasionally jar but it's easy to just go with things. This is a comedy, but its serious undercurrent and measured tone and pace - this isn't a manic gagfest - might take getting used to, as might the unusual choice of ecclesiastical music on the soundtrack alongside tribal chants and pop songs. But it's the product of a distinctive talent behind the camera working with an excellent cast. DeYoung doesn't make the mistake of making Craig a monster or Austin a saint. Even when Craig is self-sabotaging and behaving badly, you can feel for him: a lot of it is borne of loneliness and desperation and not knowing how to fit in. Mara and Glazer don't get many comic opportunities but play off Robinson well. Although Austin is played by the likeable Rudd, there's something just a tiny bit offputting about him: if Craig is one of life's losers, Austin is a slick winner with a charmed life: even when the two are arrested for trespassing, the cops ask the weatherman for selfies. Austin has one vulnerability that Craig discovers: what will he do with it? Side note, it's interesting how many of the (male) characters casually smoke cigarettes, going against the trend in recent decades both on screen and off. It will be interesting to see what comes next from DeYoung. Friendship (M, 100 minutes) 4 stars It's not breaking news to say men don't always do friendship very well. I've heard it said that while female friendship is largely face to face - communicating - male friendship tends to be side by side - doing an activity together. Emotional vulnerability is not necessarily what men are good at, but sometimes they're not even very adroit at the basic social rituals and dynamics of maleness. This is a film about something that will be painfully familiar to many men. Making new friends can be hard, especially as you get older, and closeness is even harder. If you're not a natural joiner or someone who's gregarious and prepossessing, it's tough to break into established friendship groups or ingratiate yourself with individuals, isn't it? Asking for a friend. Many scenes from this dark comedy feel like they could have been skits in Netflix's I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson. There's the same blend of cringiness and deft exaggeration seen in that show's best bits, and its eponymous star and co-creator plays the lead role here. He was an obvious choice, but he's not the movie's primary creative force. Friendship is the feature film debut of writer-director Andrew DeYoung, who's worked extensively in TV. And very impressive it is too, a comedy that's not entirely predictable and that has something to say. Craig (Robinson) is a suburban husband and father whose life isn't going too well. His marriage to cancer survivor Tami (Kate Mara) is shaky - he's emotionally distant and clumsy, not even terribly supportive of the flower business she runs from home. And things aren't great with his teenage son Steven (Jack Dylan Glazer) either: mother and son have a close bond that eludes him. Craig is not evil, just clueless and a bit insensitive, a square peg in life's round hole. It's not surprising his wife is reconnecting with her ex (as friends, she says) and also not surprising that Craig feels threatened by this but doesn't know how to deal with it. The arrival of a new neighbour seems it will be just the thing to reinvigorate Craig and his connection to life. Austin (Paul Rudd) is a local celebrity, a popular TV weatherman who's very personable. He and Craig quickly hit it off and do things. Austin takes Craig exploring in the town's aqueduct, Craig goes to see Austin's punk rock band perform. This new friendship even helps Craig forge better relationships with his wife and son. It seems too good to be true, and, of course, it is. Craig is maladroit and so desperate he acts inappropriately. He crashes Austin's studio during a broadcast and, invited to a guys' night with Austin and his friends, he injures his host. What he does to try to atone for it is bizarre and offputting. Exasperated, Austin tells him bluntly that the friendship is over. Being ostracised really stings and seeing Austin and his friends - who manage to be both blokey and sensitive - hanging out only gnaws at Craig more. His actions become increasingly obsessive and unhinged. The script contrives ways to bring the men together in the latter stages that occasionally jar but it's easy to just go with things. This is a comedy, but its serious undercurrent and measured tone and pace - this isn't a manic gagfest - might take getting used to, as might the unusual choice of ecclesiastical music on the soundtrack alongside tribal chants and pop songs. But it's the product of a distinctive talent behind the camera working with an excellent cast. DeYoung doesn't make the mistake of making Craig a monster or Austin a saint. Even when Craig is self-sabotaging and behaving badly, you can feel for him: a lot of it is borne of loneliness and desperation and not knowing how to fit in. Mara and Glazer don't get many comic opportunities but play off Robinson well. Although Austin is played by the likeable Rudd, there's something just a tiny bit offputting about him: if Craig is one of life's losers, Austin is a slick winner with a charmed life: even when the two are arrested for trespassing, the cops ask the weatherman for selfies. Austin has one vulnerability that Craig discovers: what will he do with it? Side note, it's interesting how many of the (male) characters casually smoke cigarettes, going against the trend in recent decades both on screen and off. It will be interesting to see what comes next from DeYoung.
