"DUCK BUTTER" // TRIBECA 2018 REVIEW

BY MATEO MORENO

What happens when two people who seem to be perfect for each other, warming to each other’s every move, becomes something much more real? What happens when the classic romantic comedy “let’s just jump into this and see what happens” shifts into a much more real scenario? The result could look a lot like DUCK BUTTER, a raw and very compelling new romantic drama featuring two strong lead performances by Ali Shawkat (Transparent, Arrested Development) and Lai Costa (Victoria, this year’s festival selection Maine).

Ali Shawkat plays Naima, a tightly wound actress who has been cast in the latest film by the Duplass brothers (who appear as themselves and also co-produce the film). The day does not go as well as she thinks it did, but she celebrates and goes to a club, where she meets Sergio (Lai Costa). They end up going home together and truly bond, creating a very sweet beginning to this beguiling romance. Sergio is a good match for Naima. Her uninhibited nature counteracts Naima’s wound up tendencies and they play off each other great. Then Sergio suggests a bit of a dare, or an experiment. She suggests that they spend the next 24 hours together, skipping all the bullshit of early dating and see how it all goes. At first, Naima doesn’t go along, but after learning that she has been fired from the Duplass film, she throws caution to the wind and says yes.

This is definitely a romantic idea, but one that starts to break apart pretty early on in their experiment, and the film really ramps up as it does. Their completely different personalities mix with a lack of sleep and the bars of a romantic night begin to shatter. The shift and mold as the day goes on, especially during a very traumatic visit from Sergio’s mother. While the film may not serve itself as an answer to any of the questions it tends to ask, it’s a fascinating portrayal of two young lovers jumping into something far too fast and trying to figure each other out without any room to breathe

 

VERDICT: SEE IT

WRITTEN BY Miguel Arteta & Alia Shawkat DIRECTED BY Miguel Arteta STARRING  Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Hong Chau, Kate Berlant. Playing as part of the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. https://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/duck-butter-2018