[Minor Rock Fist Up]
Preconceived notions alter movie going experiences. Whether hopes are too high and aren’t met or start low and the audience member is pleasantly surprised, it’s hard not to go into a movie today without some form of expectations. Hell, with some trailers even spoiler movies, it’s hard to even be surprised sometimes…but that’s a rant for another time.
So, for an EDM [electronic dance music] movie starring Zac Efron, it’s was hard not to have some preconceived negative thoughts about We Are Your Friends. Maybe it was better I went in with low expectations because, boy, did I enjoy this movie. The coming-of-age film is set in a particular subculture of today’s society.
And although at times writer/director Max Joseph leans a little too hard on the party atmosphere, casual drug use and random sexual encounters affiliated with the EDM club scene, deep down, this is a film about a man at a crossroads in his life. And maybe it’s because me and my friends have recently gone through experiences like this, but I sympathized with the guy and became hooked.
The main man is Cole Carter (Efron), an aspiring 23-year-old DJ, but he almost never goes anywhere without his three best friends; Jonny Weston as Mason, Shiloh Fernandez as Ollie, and Alex Shaffer as Squirrel. The gang have a weekly gig at a Hollywood club. Cole DJs and the other three wrangle up guests to boost the club’s attendance. One night, Cole meets the club’s main disc spinner, DJ James Reed (Wes Bentley), who takes Cole to a party where they both drop PCP. The scene is saved by the music and inclusion of injecting animation and graphics into what could have been a meaningless scene. Bentley is on another level, alternating between bored, hollow stares and command the room at the flip of a coin.
Emily Ratajkowski, who Cole tried hitting on at the club before taking PCP with Reed, runs into Cole the following day, because surprise, surprise, she’s Reed’s girlfriend/personal assistant. As the only real female character in the film, I understand why filmmakers chose Ratajkowski for the role for the role of Sophie, she has the looks to believably be someone caught up in the EDM world, but she was stiff and looked awkward on screen. Jon Bernthal, on the heals of the indie dramedy Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, bring another mundane character to life as Paige, a reality shark who agrees to hire the four guys as telemarketers who take advantage of suffering homeowners. The name of the film comes from Paige — it’s also a song on the soundtrack — after he gives the four guys the rundown on how to talk on the phone, he reminds them to tell the person on the other line, “we are your friends.”
I’ve already listened to the soundtrack multiple times. When the main character is a DJ and the movie surrounds itself with the EDM scene, filmmakers almost have to treat the songs they play as characters. They make or break the film. If the music wasn’t good, then the movie wouldn’t be believable. I also enjoyed how this movie doesn’t fit any traditional genre. It has some funny moments, most from Bentley sarcastically reacting to Efron, but it’s not a comedy. It has some dramatic elements, but I wouldn’t call this a dramatic movie. It incorporates music well into the movie, but it certainly isn’t a musical. It’s just a movie and sometimes, that’s better than any kind of label.
Cole simplifies the music, at one point explaining that all he needs is, “a laptop, some talent and one track.” Although he makes it sound easy, he knows the right track is his meal ticket. He knows that maybe his friends aren’t the best people to surround himself with if he needs to succeed. He knows he loves Sophie, but is their love worth ruining his relationship with his first mentor? This is what pulled me in and helped me become invested in these characters.
Joe Jarosz is a Midwest boy living in California. As much as he likes to think he has an edge, he’s quick to cry at the latest animated movie he takes his kid to see.
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