The Friend

An absolutely heartbreaking tearjerker, The Friend details the relationship between a married couple (Dakota Johnson’s Nicole and Casey Affleck’s Matthew) and their perpetually struggling buddy (Jason Segal’s Dane) – with the time-shifting narrative eventually following the trio’s efforts at dealing with Nicole’s terminal cancer diagnosis. There’s little doubt that The Friend grows more and more absorbing as it progresses, as the picture boasts a character-study like opening stretch that succeeds mostly due to the stellar performances – with all three of the leads delivering solid (and often captivating) work that consistently elevates the somewhat familiar material. The emphasis on the protagonists’ individual struggles (eg Dane attempts to get his head straight by going on a remote walkabout) ensures that they become increasingly compelling, fully-fleshed-out figures, which, in turn, paves the way for an almost unbearably emotional second half as the consequences of Nicole’s illness begin to become apparent – with the picture’s climactic portion nothing short of devastating in terms of its impact. The end result is a stirring and completely engrossing melodrama that fares a whole lot better than the viewer might’ve anticipated, and it’s clear, despite the sporadic reliance on cookie-cutter elements, that The Friend is one of the best examples of its type to come around in quite some time.

***1/2 out of ****

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