WATCH NOW
“Duck Butter” bills itself as comedically amusing, however, there is a distinct plot that runs throughout the film. It revolves around a woman who is self exploring. One of the more subtle, yet striking features of this film, is how its innovative proportions plays a very significant role in the overall impression of this film. The film, produced by Miguel Arteta, is shot within a day and a night. This means that a lot of action is not happening on conventional movie standards. Two strangers meet each other, have sex and in the midst of their post-coital high, they attempt to fit an entire relationship in the next 24 hours. “Togetherness” becomes all consuming. They begin speaking, having drinks, eating, and then, speaking some more. Finally, they start taking turns stimulating each other.
Whether in or out of their clothes, Naima (Alia Shawkat) and Sergio (Laia Costa) satisfy their desires anytime and anywhere; whether in or out of clothes. However, they engage in other forms of sharing that can be done willingly and inadvertently and do not have to be in sync. One person takes off the figurative emotional clothes and the other person puts on emotional clothes. For a supremely talentless singer like Sergio, letting it all hang out is effortless. She brags to the audience of her free-spirited nature while thrilling me by kissing cunts who are shocked to see me perform and then putting my hand up to greet them. It doesn’t help that Naima sleeps with her arms crossed, thus she keeps her fists clenched. There is no doubt that she won’t be able to fight off Sergio’s magical charm.
Regardless of Ms. Costa’s energetically earnest performance, you might find yourself not as receptive to some of Sergio’s enthusiasms. While effortful, the pronouncement is revealing, and it brings attention to a target audience defined as tolerating personalities like Sergio, who zealously engross life into self-aggrandizing drama. Living in your “personal truth,” these people seem to live in a world where every sigh and statement is punctuated by exclamation points. “I want to know you, for real,” is what Sergio tells Naima while they are cooking their 24-hour pact. Anyone else less overindulgent in sex would wonder what “for real” indicates and would want to take a pause. But Naima is pleasured and flattered and as we learn has needs that she cannot express even from herself.
There is a risk whenever a movie closely confines two characters together for the audience to see their every move along with their heavy breaths, such as in “Bug” and “Room.” Unless one falls in love with at least one of the two, that attention can sorely dwindle into indifference or impatience. In Duck Butter, this is hardly a concern due to Ms. Shawkat, a very compelling performer and a veteran of the television series “Arrested Development.” In a show that is full of geniuses, it is notable that even when Ms. Shawkat is flailing comedically, she is always actively trying to work the angles. She is never shy to stand out, and rightfully so. And here too.
In the review of “Duck Butter,” Ms. Shawkat, who created the screenplay with Mr. Arteta, imagines a character whose awareness stirs to life step by step through a single important encounter. Naima works (struggles) as an actress and the story clicks in on her first day of an indie production with (alongside an amusing Kumail Nanjiani and Lindsay Burdge) which is being directed by Mark and Jay Duplass. The Duplasses themselves appear as themselves, on cameo, and although they are only in the film for a short time, they make a sly, barbed impression — and give the movie a sharp meta-moment — as professional nice guys whose chill vibe evaporates the moment Naima, in a fit of astonishing self-unawareness, disputes their power.
Much of the storyline of “Duck Butter” unfolds after Naima’s most embarrassing encounter with the Duplasses. She rather desperately seems to run into Sergio’s arms. This can be interpreted as a sign of female independence (albeit panicked and fearful) or as a piece of storytelling contrivance. Shawkat, who appears in a number of independent films and has an executive producer credit here, as well as Mr. Arteta, who captures brilliant little aspects life’s daily drone (his credits include “Beatriz at Dinner”), do some lovely work in a film which reminds one that sometimes basic human compassion is all that is needed within the genre of realist fiction — but one must have heart and intelligence and good craft and technique.
To watch more movies like The Next 24 Hours (2022) visit 123Movies.
Also Watch for more movies like:
