Cast:
Jason Sudeikis as Eric
Leslie Bibb as Kelly
Lake Bell as Alison
Michelle Borth as Sue
Nick Kroll as Adam
Tyler Labine as McCrudden
Angela Sarafyan as Willow
Lindsay Sloane as Laura
Martin Starr as Duquez
Rhys Coiro as Marcus
Lin Shaye as Dody
Will Forte as Glenn
Lucy Punch as Kate
David Koechner as Vic George
Michael Harding as Mr. Weber
Barbara Weetman as Mrs. Weber
Dee Dee Rescher as Ellen
Jon Stafford as Fred
Rick Warner as Deacon
Directed by Alex Gregory & Peter Huyck
Story:
Every summer, Eric (Jason Sudeikis) throws elaborate theme parties at his father’s Hamptons home for his friends and the locals, but with his father putting the house on the market, Eric and his friend Mike (Tyler Labine) decide to throw one last bash for their friends and it will be… an orgy.
Analysis:
The summer of R-rated raunch comes to a close with a movie that’s on the lower end of the budgets, but one that thrives to create something a lot more memorable with its limited budget, not only by being hilariously funny but also by tempering the sex humor with genuine warmth.
Every summer, Eric acts the charming party host who invites his 30-something friends to his father’s summer house in the Hamptons on the weekend, but with the threat of the house being sold, the plan is to throw one last bash they’ll never be able to forget. It’s Eric’s slightly depraved pal Mike who throws out the idea of an orgy, though he’s probably thinking more about himself and his desire to sleep with their female friends Alison (Lake Bell), Sue (Michelle Borth) and Laura (Lindsay Sloane), who they’ve known since college.
Once the premise is set-up quickly without much muss or fuss, it moves onto a second act that revolves around Eric and Mike trying to convince their friends to take part in the orgy, having a harder time with the women who are deservedly uptight about what having group sex with their friends and what that might do to their relationships.
Former “Letterman” writers Alex Gregory & Peter Huyck use their directorial debut to showcase a serious ensemble of talent, many of them having made this movie well before their recent studio films. As much as the laughs are spread out among them to create a well-rounded experience, it’s Jason Sudeikis who clearly stands out as the leader as he’s given a lot more to do than we’ve seen from him in his other recent comedies. As much as Sudeikis’ charm drives the movie, the real breakout is Tyler Labine, who channels John Belushi as Eric’s rude foul-mouthed slacker friend who often says exactly what’s on the viewer’s mind. It’s pretty evident that Labine should be doing some of the roles that might normally go to Jack Black or Dan Fogler, because he’s funny without being as annoying as either of them. Nick Kroll also has fun playing the constantly-neurotic Adam.
We weren’t nearly as familiar with the actresses in the film, but they’re all equally terrific, particularly Michelle Borth and Lindsay Sloane who make their characters come across like real women, rather than the typical female comedy characters written by men – we’re talking to you, “The Change-Up.” Will Forte and Lucy Punch play the group’s soon-to-be-married couple who are desperately trying to remain active in the group, although neither Eric nor Mike wants them involved in the orgy, leading to some hilarious moments. Then there’s Martin Starr’s rocker Duquez and his girlfriend/manager Willow (Angela Sarafyan) who are in a committed relationship and have the most to lose by participating in the orgy. Lin Shaye, most recently seen performing seances in “Insidious,” has a fun role as the real estate agent Dody whose perversions come out quite by accident.
Although there’s a lot of frank discussions about sex, more of the humor comes from the eccentricities of the characters and their relationships. It’s raunchy fun for sure, but the movie’s actually quite sweet at times, especially when dealing with the romance between Jason Sudeikis and Leslie Bibb as the realtor assigned to sell his father’s house. The two of them have a fun chemistry together that makes their scenes some of the most enjoyable ones in the movie.
When it finally gets to the orgy itself, the movie thankfully doesn’t turn into “Shortbus” instead handling the sex quite tastefully with the awkwardness of the situation always being front and center in driving the humor. The fact that the entire cast seems to be having fun making this movie really comes through in every single scene, but especially during the grand climax.
The Bottom Line:
“A Good Old Fashioned Orgy” won’t be everyone, especially if humor about sex and graphic descriptions of the same make you uncomfortable. Even so, first-time filmmakers Gregory and Huyck have assembled a fantastic cast who do an amazing job selling this fairly simple comedy premise and making every scene count. It’s actually quite shocking how well it all works.
