A bromance wears thin in “The Travel Companion,” a vaguely ironic comedy about an aspiring filmmaker and his emotional support roommate. We meet Simon (Tristan Turner) as he faces a quarter-life crisis. His videography day job is deadening, and the documentary he hopes to make — “a nostalgia piece, sort-of travelogue about past, present, future” — is a nonstarter.
Our protagonist’s only consolation is his longtime pal, Bruce (Anthony Oberbeck), with whom Simon lives, dines, agonizes and travels. The last one is key: Not only is Bruce Simon’s confidante, he is also his ticket abroad, given that Bruce’s airline job grants free flights for a chosen companion. As a single dude, Bruce has no problem granting plus-one privileges to his homie. Then he gets a girlfriend.
The debut feature from the directors Travis Wood and Alex Mallis, “The Travel Companion” plays like a pallid cousin to “Frances Ha,” the pre-eminent millennial study of the heartbreak and jealousy that follow a friendship eclipsed by a romance. Wood and Mallis want to explore how that hurt plays out for men, specifically those prone to avoidance, and who express love chiefly through the exchange of gifts and perks.
There is charm in the film’s allusions to New York City indie filmmaking, like the crew member who fibs that he’s shooting a mayonnaise commercial. But that specificity does not extend to Simon and Bruce’s bond, which consists of parallel play or the odd story about getting too stoned. If that’s the extent of these dudes’ platonic partnership, then don’t expect much sympathy over their rift.
The Travel Companion Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 31 minutes. In theaters.
The post ‘The Travel Companion’ Review: Friendship, Insecurely Fastened appeared first on New York Times.
