***

Dir: Lynn Shelton

With: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard

 

Writer-director Lynn Shelton deconstructs the male ego in this engaging, if flawed, comedy, which serves as an offbeat alternative to the recent glut of mainstream “bro-mances”.

When carefree artist Andrew (Joshua Leonard) turns up on the doorstep of happily married Ben (Mark Duplass), the two former college buddies, above, soon slip into their old dynamic until they drunkenly decide to enter an amateur porn contest by having sex on film with each other, even though they are straight.

Shelton’s film stands or falls on how much you buy into the central scenario and isn’t helped by the sheer unlikeability of its two male leads.

But it has a cringe-worthy appeal to it that’s reminiscent of The Office, as well as some interesting things to say about the stupidity of male bravado. The final few will-they-won’t-they moments also help to deliver a suitably appropriate conclusion.