Synopsis
Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn't know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today.
Cronies
2015 Directed by Michael Larnell
Language
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I watched this because the summary sounded promising. A bonerrail-thin backstory is gradually revealed (with childhood flashbacks, somehow, despite this movie being a faux-documentary) as we watch three unlikable dudes (a wannabe badass, the badass's friend who disagrees with him, and a their dude who alternates between which dude he goes along with) ride around harassing women, smoking, fishing, and talking about eachother and/or drugs, for a day. Little to nothing happens (or at least nothing that interested me) and the dialogue doesn't do a very good job developing the characters (despite this being something of a character study) or even really being interesting. For a gritty realistic sort of drama centered on a limited cast the characters were too…
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Hm. I put in half an hour. It wasn't a bad half hour, aside from the acting. There was no plot to speak of, unless the plot is the gradual reveal of a past conflict between two of the three lead characters through the conceit of a documentary film-maker pushing them to talk about things they probably haven't touched on for years. Why a documentary film-maker would be interested is itself not clear - perhaps there is a plot in the remainder of the film I missed. But as the film meandered through this day with these three guys I just got bored, and once they started imposing unwelcome advances on random women in the street I was done. Who cares if this is what life is really like?
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Friendships are tested in this mellow hybrid between a documentary and a drama. Cronies‘ style references sitcoms like The Office and Parks & Rec with its breaking the fourth wall, but struggles to say much new.
The racial element to the trio’s semi-enforced friendship is the most interesting thing about it, with Drew regularly challenged – often unnecessarily – to match up to his black friends’ hood posturing.
There’s humour and strong identity within each character, but the plot does little to enthral. The same conflicts play out with little development – a fault which could be excused if the film were funnier.
The delicious, heat-drenched black and white cinematography and the light-hearted camaraderie makes Cronies an enjoyable but repetitive film.
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From an article I did with ten 100-word reviews. All stuff I saw at Sundance 2015.
Directed by Michael Larnell. Cronies takes place in St. Louis and follows the shenanigans of three friends, two of whom are black, while the other is white. Shot in black and white, it has an energy, quirkiness, and strength of feeling rarely found in debut films. Though produced by Spike Lee, the film seems to shrug off the things that divide and cause conflict between races in America. Obviously race has always been a hot, divisive issue, especially in St. Louis, but it’s refreshing to see a film that has more optimism about how young people view such things.
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I love a movie that just crackles with energy. A supremely confident and hilarious debut that finds its own unique style and rhythm.
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Enormously promising debut. Fascinating blend of non-actors acting and being interviewed, blurring the lines between authenticity and construction in an intriguing way. Its lesser moments resolve into an endearing, memorable texture.