by Frank Calvillo
It’s always bugged me a bit how almost all “making it in L.A.” films tend to focus on aspiring movie stars, without much acknowledgment to all the other art forms which draw committed wannabes to the golden state. That’s why I found myself intrigued by the premise of We Are Your Friends, and the idea of showing how hard it is for a talented, yet unknown DJ to make it. While the film does do right by spotlighting the figures who bring life to clubs and parties, any particular poignancy or meaning is lost thanks to a misguided execution.
We Are Your Friends centers on Cole (Zac Efron), an aspiring DJ living in his friend’s parents’ garage in the San Fernando Valley. With friends Mason (Jonny Weston), Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez), and Squirrel (Alex Shaffer) by his side, Cole exercises any and all avenues to find success in the extremely competitive world of professional DJ-ing. When he befriends former famed DJ turned respected producer James (Wes Bentley) and his assistant/girlfriend Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski), the idea of success might become a realistic one, provided Cole can manage all the different elements of his life together.
Helmed by Max Joseph, who also co-wrote the screenplay, We Are Your Friends is a textbook example of what can be considered “music video direction,” in which a filmmaker litters their film with an ongoing assortment of music-filled sequences intended to bring life and flair to the proceedings. Joseph hopelessly falls prey to the majority of said directors in that he believes more is more when it comes to this kind of method and fills We Are Your Friends with these kinds of sequences, which end up working as time fillers more than a storytelling device. Yet, while such montages do sometimes work with the theme and milieu of the story, it’s sadly telling that some of them end up feeling more alive than the actual scenes themselves. The same can be said for the hallucinogenic episode Cole experiences, which is distracting and does absolutely nothing for the story.
Its easy to see why Joseph relied so heavily on extravagant montages to come to the rescue as much as they try to do in We Are Your Friends, since most of the screenplay never seems cohesive enough to feel like an actual story. Part of this is the busy plot which hopelessly tries to give focus to Cole’s day-job subplot (admittedly compelling), his romance with Sophie, his relationship with James, his long-time brotherhood of friends and his ongoing quest to make it as a DJ. As a result of hurriedly trying to make each element seem real and authentic, almost nothing ends up feeling genuine. Scenes of seriousness and/or intensity are too overdone to have any impact, and what tries for powerful, ends up feeling ludicrous or hollow.
Efron is more than serviceable working within the confines of the role, although by now the film world has seen he is more than capable of material with a bit more weight to it than this. Weston has some standout moments (even managing to narrowly shift the focus temporarily from the film’s leading man), but the real standout of the film is Bentley, who breathes life into the film whenever he’s on screen. The character of James, a sort of “ghost of Christmas future” for Cole, is the most interesting of the film and gives the actor a fun part to play around with. A confrontational scene in a men’s room between him and Efron, along with one of the film’s final scenes in which Bentley delivers a monologue about his character’s regrets, makes one wish the film would have been solely about James and Cole.
The drive on behalf of the filmmakers to make their film appear far edgier and novel than it is remains breathtakingly relentless. However, We Are Your Friends does manage hit a few of the appropriate notes in the last 15 minutes, particularly in the music fest sequence where we FINALLY get a telling insight into what inspires its main character. While, it almost makes up for everything that came before, its not enough to save the film from the level of trite mediocrity it was always destined for.
The Package
There’s a standard behind the scenes making of which shows Efron and company explaining/selling the story’s ideology.
The Lowdown
A few meaningful moments aside, We Are Your Friends is the kind of low-end cinematic comfort food that’s easily consumed and quickly forgotten.
