As if the world of e-tech and the information superhighway is not broad enough, with a new generation even more savvy, there is always room for a classic buddy comedy template amidst all the others we have encountered over the years.
Set in the world of business start-ups and KPIs, APPINESS focuses on two former high-school buddies, Eric (writer-director Eli Batalion) and Raj (Varun Saranga), the former made redundant and the latter working in his father’s dry cleaning store, who come together after time apart and reconnect in their local coffee shop to discuss various ideas.
As is the case in a story like this, one thing leads to another – and a brand-new communications app, Connect2U, is born. Before long, the business is attracting smart bespectacled techie Jeanine (Amber Goldfarb), who helps alongside the pair to shape the idea for the app into a much more savvy proposal, attracting in turn others who are keen to see the business develop into something above and beyond their far-reaching dreams.
However, as is their wont, there are bound to be challenges and conflicts that will begin to affect the dynamic of Eric and Raj’s relationship…
APPINESS has echoes of THE SOCIAL NETWORK given the subject matter, but is more low-brow than David Fincher’s biopic that focused on the evolution of Facebook and how it affected those involved in its development.
This film has a lot of sweetness within and follows the template on many geeky style buddy comedies over the years like THE ODD COUPLE and MIDNIGHT RUN, with a touch of the sexual banter and complications from the downsides of social media reach that we have seen in teen comedies like AMERICAN PIE and PORKY’S, albeit not as explicit.
At times, however, the comedy does seem a little overstretched and forced and you can sense that the reality and practicalities of starting your own online business app or website domain contains a lot more hilarity. The core idea is fine, but there should have been a little more complexity in the comedy.
That said, the chemistry of the cast is fine and perfect for the film.
