Highball (2002)

I actually read the IMDB user reviews of this film before I saw it. Many intelligent users had little good to say about the film, even those users who were very fond of Baumbach's other work. Despite this, I watched it anyway.All right, so it's not a masterwork. Yes, the film was poorly edited, and no, there isn't much of a story. But the Baumbach wit is still present, and there are many hilarious moments in the film, enough that I rather enjoyed it. Ultimately, isn't that why we watch film? -Highball- might not make a great statement on the human condition, but at least it will make you laugh.

Among my favorite dry comedies I would include movies by Baumbach and Stillman, from which much of Highball's cast is culled. This would, in theory, be the one and only kind of marketing strategy for this movie, though not a very convincing one. I also LOVE Chris Eigeman who is utterly invisible in his role as Fletcher. It bothers me that movies like this are made just as much as it bothers me that movies like Die Hard and Armageddon are made, because you notice not what they are and what they offer, but what they aren't and what they might have been.The difference between a movie like Highball and a movie like Kicking & Screaming or Barcelona is the feeling of intimacy, genuinity and understanding. This group of actors is not de facto amusing or sexy or entertaining, only within a structure of good writing, (some kind of) cinematography, and a sense of integrity, all which are lost on this scrap of film that is also a waste of the $300 it took to make it.This movie is a case of "we can doesn't mean we should". It doesn't even exist to be noted on a filmography. No actor in a sober state would venture to have this experience referenced in the annals of his/her work. I am chagrined.

I just watched this film and I was amazed at what an effect It had on me. It was very funny and weird, but most of all it was true. The writing was sharp and often hilarious, but the performances are what really pull it off. I often say that Chris Eigeman steals any movie he is in, but it doesn't happen in this movie. All the actors hit the right mark to create something that is rare in current independant films. No one in this film over or under acts. If you love dialogue driven comedies with some fine nuanced perfomances (ie Whit Stillman, kicking & screaming) you'll enjoy this flick.

It's a nice surprise to see so many famous names get together for a (very) low budget film like this (the end credits celebrate its being filmed in just six days). Even nicer than that is the incredibly witty dialogue and situations that are so perfectly satirized at a party. This film follows a group of couples (and the permutations therein) and their friends at three parties- a housewarming, Hallowe'en, and New Years. You've been to one of these parties. You know these people. There's the insufferable prick that keeps getting invited, theres the Grudge between two guys, there's the ex-girlfriend dating someone else now... etc. It's a BRILLIANTLY funny movie, and there it gets funnier each time you watch it- too many of them go over your head the first time round.