Scotch and Milk

Man. This was and is one of the most indulgent, poorly executed films I have seen. Yuck!!!

I remember reading the somewhat positive review of this film

about a year and a half ago in Variety and seeing Adam Goldberg's

name attached to it, who I hold a place in my critical heart for his

appearance in Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused, I wanted to

see this film badly.

I wish I could dampen my enthusiasm a few notches in retrospect.

Scotch & Milk ultimately will remind many of the much better

Swingers, a film I still think was a better screenplay than film, but

even though Milk is more expressionistic and arty, this doesn't

mean its a better film in the long run.

I really do think this film was made for the sole fact to see if the

camera worked. The film rambles from one improvisational set

piece to another, further strengthens the argument against

smoking and drinking, and really doesn't say much that Swingers

or even more to the point, Barbet Schroeder's Barfly, didn't say

better.

I caught this film recently on the Sundance channel and I do agree

with the American Cinematography writer's laudable comments

regarding Milk's look but even some trash manages to look pretty

that doesn't mean it's better. I hope Goldberg has a better film in

him in the years to come.

I saw this at a special screening in Austin, Texas. The place was packed (I guess everyone will show up for a free movie) and barely got in. After I sat through the 2 hour movie, I thought I just saw a bad black & white version of Swingers. Right after the movie, Adam Goldberg was doing a Q&A with the audience, and complaining he couldn't get anyone to pickup the film for distribution. He says that Swingers was filming at the same time Goldberg created this film, and scoffed at that film. You know which film was a success, and which one didn't get the nod. There is a reason why. Scotch & Milk attempted to be an artsy-fartsy film, but almost made me fall asleep. It's a film about relationships, friends, barflies, love, and trying to get out from the rut. The character development never established itself, and the flow of the film was jagged. This film will likely never reach past film festivals and private screenings, and you'll be glad it didn't. Goldberg is a decent actor, but directing.. just let the pros do that.

It would be easy to call this film self-indulgent, pretentious and egocentric but it saves itself from such allegations with some really engaging and witty dialogue - very dry and dark. It is beautifully shot but lacks some pace to what I reluctantly call the story, which is in fact rambling existential angst. I think it is self-conscious enough to know that the under-world of jazz , chain-smoking and greasy hair is instantly cliche ridden and manages, though not all the time, to be inventive enough to avoid inducing embarrassing grimaces or worse, laughs in the wrong places. The lead character you may recognise as Chandler's sinister flatmate in Friends some time ago. I sense him wanting to go down the same path as Vincent Gallo - dying to be an auteur!

I did not like this film. It was beautifully shot, in black and white, sort of film noir look, but, it never got close to being anything more than a palette for these mid level actors to pretend to be their heroes. These guys are all friends, and, they thought they could make the next Swingers, but, I think in order to achieve that you need to spend a little more time developing the characters. I think this script was written on the toilet in one sitting. That's where it should've stayed.