Under the Influence (2009) - By Josh Samford

Film Reviews: Under the Influence (2009) - By Josh Samford
Posted on Thursday, July 02, 2009 @ 05:02:40 Mountain Daylight Time by Duane

Although I'm probably the least qualified guy on the planet to be judging anything to do with youthful acts of rebellion. I'm that guy who is about as far from hip as it gets, so staying out late and partying the night away isn't what I would call my idea of a good time nor anything remotely close to the way I generally spend my weekend nights. However, maybe it's wish fulfillment, maybe it's that inner rebellion inside of me - I've always had a fondness for these types of flicks. From the eighties with Weird Science and even The Breakfast Club, to the modern take on the genre with stuff like Road Trip and the like. You have your failures, but there are some sucesses that make the genre worthwhile. Recently we've seen a few of these types of films blow up into massive hits and Under the Influence feels a lot like Superbad and some other Apatow related comedies. It has that same cheeky, sarcastic "guys will be guys" type of humor that you'll either love or be too much of a pansy to enjoy. I personally take a lot of humor out of hearing someone threaten to "cock slap" a friend. Maybe that's just me.

The actual storyline for Under the Influence probably isn't entirely different from a lot of films you've seen in the past. It follows a senior named Pete and his assortment of Friends who start their day with a goon jock asking them to pick up some beer for a party he'll be throwing later that evening. Pete wants to go because he'll probably get to see Elizabeth, his ex-girlfriend who he broke up with before summer break but who he still has feelings for. The rest of the guys just want to party and try to score. So after drinking all of the booze, the boys hit the town but this night isn't about to go anywhere near the direction they expect it to. Run ins with the law, being help up at knife-point and with copious amounts of alcohol consumed things are just bound to get even more outragous.

What actually makes Under the Influence work as well as it does all comes from the casting. Although many in the cast are apparently first time actors, by and large I was really impressed with the performances from such a young cast. The dialogue comes off as being only slightly improvisational, but still very real to life and believable coming from the principals. Each character is given their own arch that they travel upon and ultimately delivers their own life lessons. Sure, it's probably not breaking through barriers a la Jean Luc Godard, but for what it is Under the Influence is certainly a fun addition to the genre and one of the more entertaining Independent comedies I've seen in a while. It's a fun flick with a lot of really great characters. Pete is the obvious straight man who constantly pines for his ex, while his right hand man Jacob goldmine of comedy as his character usually gets the best lines in the movie. Including the previously mentioned "cock slapping", which he uses as his own little catchphrase. There's also Trevor (AKA: T & A), their mutual friend who uses his guitar as a means to pick up chicks by singing dreadfully corny love songs at parties. Then there's Urtel, the nerdy friend who tags along... and of course has an infatuation with Daniel Day Lewis. Trust me, you've never heard a pick-up line until you've heard a opener featuring a Daniel Day Lewis reference. You can believe it.

It's probably not for all tastes I suppose. It definitely features its variety of comedy, from deadpan and simple to over the top and slapstick. Officer Parsons, the Jack Black esque manic police officer chasing after our lead characters, who could prove to be a little too much for some viewers. However, for others such as myself, it's a pretty funny performance. His nursery rhymes whilst trying to bust underage drinking is just too bizarre for me not to at least grin. It is an independent film however, and you should hopefully know what to expect in terms of budgetary restraints. Such as a lack of extras during the high school sequences, but featuring more than enough during the party scenes in the latter half of the film (wonder why!). Still, once you get past all of that you'll find a quaint story and some immediately engaging characters and performances that get by on sheer charisma. If I can think of a few films to compare it to, I'd have to say it steps into that genre of teenage films that revolve around a very specific amount of time so it would look perfectly fitting alongside the likes of American Graffiti, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and of course Superbad, a film I'm sure the director and company have heard their film compared to many times before. However, after you get past some of the similaritys you'll find something entirely different. To check out more from the guys over at Maximus Films, head on over to their official site at MaximusFilms.net.