My friend Tommy is a wonderful and very risky movie. This can be seen as an homage to something rather toxic in today’s macho-oriented society, but there is something beyond its original premise. Something that transcends any relevant considerations about the “dirty” problem that is being solved: at the heart of this brutal strike on social standards is an emotional story about prejudice and how they led us to a relatively negative thesis.
“You have to…” And when you can’t do that, you become part of something else. A completely different level of society in which you are a pariah.
Based on this premise, Nemo Stankovich is making his own film, in which he just wants to help his friend. Allegedly. All of this may be part of a sick joke, but as viewers, we decide to trust this giant of a buddy who decides to make a movie about Thomas Lee, whose only goal is to stop being a 40-year-old virgin. Yes, you read everything correctly. The title of Apatow’s movie actually applies to Tommy.
He’s never been on a date before. I’ve never pecked a girl before. I’ve never watched. He lives with his conservative parents, who also manage all his income. He doesn’t even have a bank account. The documentary “My Friend Tommy” is a portrait of a mission in which Tommy will achieve certain goals, which his friend Nim will help him achieve.
There’s nothing wrong with thinking that a movie is a kind of comedy. Of course, this is how it should be. Tommy’s attitude is connected with a mocking look at his own situation. He laughs at himself. He does that too. A group of friends accompanying them cheer as Tommy takes another step forward.
But what exactly? The film’s personality hides it for the first time, when it’s just a celebration of silly jokes and friendship that crosses a harmful line from time to time. Tommy remains the subject of discussion, and the film plunges the dagger even deeper. Something is wrong with this personal journey of self-discovery.
When the movie arrives at its destination, my friend Tommy will be the movie he should be. If you thought this premise was hard to believe, wait until you get to the third act. The key scene with the phone call is crucial to understanding Tommy’s character and the element of self-justification. Sometimes films strangely cause alarm among noisy prejudices. With my friend Tommy, we just needed to listen. Instead, we applauded the appalling submission to social standards.
The last call with a big revelation is even more revealing. But it’s up to you to take a look and decide if this trip was worth it. Is my friend Tommy a movie about Tommy or Him? Who has learned more? We could say that he was an inappropriate part of history, but when a lesson is taught, he gets to the center of history in a circle of sympathy that seemed to not exist in this strange little document.