The story concerns deadbeat bartender Syd (Chris Evans) heading to a farewell party for his ex, London (Jessica Biel), accompanied by his new drug buddy Bateman (Jason Statham). The druggie surface gives the impression that this is one of those degenerate tales of hard-asses fighting their demons, but really this is just your basic broken heart movie … Swingers, or perhaps even Annie Hall, on coke. That is, if Annie Hall was not already on coke.
I enjoyed it, but London is hardly a masterpiece. The coke conversations sometimes came off like a screenwriter's idea if coke conversations; in fact, the movie overall comes off like a movie written and/or directed by someone who's dabbled in drugs and therapy without committing to either. There are a few too many relationship clichés, such as the perennial "I hate you! Let's fuck!" scene, and most of the film can be ignored without missing anything important … as with most coke convos. The male lead (Evans) comes from the Ethan Hawke/Ashton Kutcher school, wherein you act like a true scumbag but just seem like a privileged prep-school fuckwad. Had the script forced him to lose, the movie may have had something to say, but unfortunately London seems to want to justify both willy-nilly drug use and sad-sack broken-heart redemption. Jessica Biel is inarguably hot, but also convincing here; Jason Statham is pretty great. The supporting cast, which includes Isla Fisher, Louis C.K. and a totally unnecessary Dane Cook, are fine, but seem to be in it for the drugs. Not that I blame 'em.
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