Is it progress to say that gay rom-coms can be just as silly and stupid as straight ones? That’s the dilemma one encounters while watching my fake friend, a superficial entry into the world of romantic comedy that has nothing to do with being as entertaining as it is. The flimsy material, stretched even thinner by an overabundance of piercing needle drops and eye-catching product placement, is saved by its leading trio… but only just.
The film is the latest release from Buzzfeed Studios, and it feels exactly like one of those pop culture lists the site throws out every 10 minutes: Short, upbeat, and throwaway, making you feel like you’ve gained no knowledge and expended some time . albeit gladly. It seems intended for viewers with nothing better to do, which is the highest praise one can give a film like this.
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A decent premise
my fake friendThe build-up is silly but promising: After trying unsuccessfully to break away from his vain friend as a soap opera actor, Andrew (Keiynan Lonsdale) enlists the help of his best friend Jake (Dylan Sprouse) and Jake’s girlfriend Kelly (Sarah Hyland). to break up with his emotionally abusive ex, Nico. After witnessing Andrew’s botched dating attempts, Jake comes up with an idea: why not start a fake online boyfriend to make Nico jealous and thus unwilling to interfere in his ex’s life to defuse his ego to strengthen? Armed with too much time and graphic design skills, Jake summons Cristiano, an incredibly handsome online friend who runs with the cops in Pamplona, skydives for fun, and grants Andrew’s every wish.
It’s no spoiler to say the scheme works…for a while. Complications arise when Andrew meets and falls madly in love with Rafi, an attractive chef, while Jake develops an unhealthy obsession with Cristiano, who symbolizes everything he wants to be and isn’t. Cristiano’s growing worldwide popularity, combined with Nico’s growing suspicions that his ex’s new lover is too good to be true, comes to a head in a third act that’s both predictable and grueling to bear. The requisite coda tying up any loose ends does its best to get things going again and for the most part it works.
What makes the film
A key element of the film’s charm is the leading actors, who highlight material that could have been rendered unwatchable by less charismatic actors. As Andrew, Lonsdale possesses a vulnerability and honesty rare in romantic comedy leads, gay or straight. They are invested in his feelings, even as they are manipulated by a conspiracy that sometimes strains credibility. Sprouse’s Jake could have been a lazy brother like Seth Rogen knocked open or Jason Segel in Forgot Sarah Marshall, but instead he’s almost as frail as Andrew. Jake’s infatuation with Cristiano isn’t just mined for comedy; There’s real pathos there, and it’s to the film’s credit that it gives Sprouse enough space to show it.
As Jake’s girlfriend, Hyland displays the crack comic timing she developed in the later seasons of modern family. With her Kewpie doll face and wide eyes, she looks like a screwball comedian from the 1930s, and she does what she can with her somewhat limited role. All three actors have a laid-back, lived-in vibe that sells their characters’ intimate, good-natured friendship. As long as one or more of them are on screen, the movie hums along nicely.
Some very real flaws
Actors can only do so much, however, and that lies in other areas, most notably the uneven direction and razor-thin script my fake friend is a train. Director Rose Troche demonstrated a knack for modern screwball comedy with the farce bedrooms & hallways two decades ago, and that flashes through in some sequences my fake friendparticularly in the creation of Cristiano in the first act. But there are other times, particularly in the drawn-out climax that involves an absurdly staged funeral, where the direction feels flat and uninspired and the worn script shows all its clichés.
It also doesn’t help that the film prompts audiences to believe it’s set in New York City, when that’s clearly not the case. With its spacious apartments and almost empty restaurants, my fake friend‘s Big Apple is unconvincing, and while that may seem like a minor sophistication, it breaks the delicate spell the film weaves (it was shot in Ontario).
Stars are stars for a reason, and some have gravitational pull from their magnetism alone. Lonsdale, Sprouse and Hyland make this film worth seeing and sell its absurd premise. At a time when romantic comedy is struggling to survive and LGBT comedy is still rare, my fake friend is graded passable entertainment on a curve. Just don’t focus too much on the many flaws and you should be good.
my fake friend is currently streaming on Prime Video. For more new June films and shows from this streaming service, check out what’s new on Prime Video.
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