The Foursome

Though its premise is certainly sound – four college buddies spend a weekend chatting about their lives over one or two rounds of golf – The Foursome has been infused with an egregiously broad sensibility that ultimately negates its few positive attributes. Director William Dear’s inability/unwillingness to employ even a hint of subtlety proves disastrous, as there’s very little within the film that rings true (ie this is sitcom-level stuff, for the most part). It’s subsequently not surprising to note that Jackson Davies’ screenplay has been jam-packed with precisely the sort of plot points and character revelations that one might’ve expected, although this reliance on exceedingly familiar tropes proves to be the least of the film’s problems. Rather, it’s the inclusion of several overtly comedic interludes that cements The Foursome‘s downfall – as Davies peppers the proceedings with such eye-rollingly silly elements as a poorly-choreographed golf-cart chase and a nude romp through some outdoor sprinklers (this is to say nothing of the stereotypically flamboyant gay character who pops up from time to time). Of course, it’s impossible to discuss the ineptness of Davies’ script without mentioning the inclusion of Bryan Adams’ “18 ’till I Die” – which the central characters managed to perform during their college days despite the fact that the song wasn’t released until the mid-’90s. The passable yet distinctly over-the-top performances periodically breathe some life into an otherwise interminable affair, and one can’t help but wonder how such a hopelessly inauthentic screenplay managed to receive the feature-film treatment.

*1/2 out of ****