When the credits roll, Joe Swanberg's "Drinking Buddies" will at least leave you thirsty. Whether you'll be drinking to toast or drinking to forget is another matter.

Regardless in which camp you fall, "Drinking Buddies" is best enjoyed with your favorite craft beer in hand (or several). The story follows Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson),who both work for a new Chicago craft brewery, and their complicated relationship with their significant others and each other.

There isn't much to the story: if you're a beer nerd from the Midwest like I am, you might have more fun playing "spot the beer" than keeping an eye on what will happen next. The dramatic tension in this comedy comes from a weekend that Kate and her boyfriend, Chris (Ron Livingston),spend in Michigan with Luke and his girlfriend, Jill (Anna Kendrick). The sexual tension between the male and female counterparts is quite palpable and it drives (slowly) the entire rest of the film.

Fans of conventional Hollywood storytelling will likely cite "Drinking Buddies" as why independent films are awful, whereas fans of independent films will commend everything Swanberg does in this movie. It's a natural, true-to-life portrayal of relationships, where the characters live in a fishbowl and we observe them, counting the similarities to our own lives. There is practically no manufactured conflict, just people drinking, talking and trying to make sense of their lives.

Swanberg's script sets up situations in which a major conflict between the characters could break out at any second, but the film relies chiefly on its on-screen talent in order to work. Wilde and Johnson have excellent chemistry, to the point where it's almost painful that the story mostly deprives us of that romantic satisfaction. Wilde in particular hasn't given us a performance this raw since she made it big in Hollywood, so to see her give us the full range of the fun-loving but deeply insecure Kate is perhaps the finest takeaway "Drinking Buddies" has to offer. Johnson, on the other hand, while an ideal fit in his role, is mostly operating in familiar territory for anyone who follows him on Fox's comedy "New Girl."

Kendrick and Livingston, though technically important to the story, feel secondary to what may or may not happen between Kate and Luke. The depth of character is just not there for Livingston's Chris, or really for Kendrick's Jill either, though Kendrick (as always) makes the most with what she's given.

"Drinking Buddies" completely and honestly captures the indefinable nature of contemporary relationships, it just doesn't say anything new about it. You don't need to watch Swanberg's film to see a prime example of the oft-blurred line between Platonic and non-Platonic in a relationship, even if this movie does it particularly well. Similarly, the role that craft beer and beer culture plays in the film feels minimal if not irrelevant. The one idea that can be gleaned is that alcohol accentuates the complication of feelings by releasing impulses that otherwise can be repressed, but that's not exactly visible upon watching.

Expert talents and a filmmaker who truly understands relationship dynamics help elevate "Drinking Buddies" above the level of less astute indies that bank more on situational comedy and drama to bolster their themes. Yet the consequence is it hurts the entertainment value to a great degree. "Drinking Buddies" isn't boring, but it's underwhelming despite its strengths.

~Steven C Thanks for reading! Check out moviemusereviews.com for more

Kate (Olivia Wilde) works at a small brewery and flirts with drinking buddy co-worker Luke (Jake Johnson). In many ways, they're perfect for each other, but Kate is in a relationship with Chris (Ron Livingston) and Luke is in a relationship with Jill (Anna Kendrick).

The acting is good. I love every one of them. The writing is a little too casual. In fact, the dialog is especially casual from Jill. There seems to be a lot of improvisational work. It can get a little tiring, but the relationships are worth sticking around for. The casualness does drain away some of the emotional drama. It's still good.

In Chicago, Kate (Olivia Wilde) is the PR of a brewery. Her boyfriend is Chris (Ron Livingston) and her best friend is her coworker Luke (Jake Johnson),who lives with his girlfriend Jill (Anna Kendrick). When Chris invites Luke and Jill to spend the weekend at his house by the lake, he gets closer to Jill while Kate spends most of the time with Luke. When they return to the city, Chris breaks up with Kate. She becomes upset and decides to celebrate with her coworkers in a bar; then she has one night stand with her colleague Dave (Ti West). When Luke learns what happened in the previous night, he becomes kind of jealous. Will their relationship be affected?

"Drinking Buddies" is a film about friendship and beers. The movie keeps a sexual tension between Kate and Luke that goes nowhere. Every viewer might have believed that the association of drinks and close relationship would go in a different direction, but it does not. But the chemistry between Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson is impressive and beautiful to see. The scene when the gorgeous Olivia Wilde takes her clothes off is extremely sensual. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Um Brinde À Amizade" ("A Toast to Friendship")