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Jerry (Stiller) is a whiny, overly talkative college drama professor who can't stop babbling on during
sex with his callous girlfriend Terri (Keener), aggravating her to the point where she asks "Is there any
chance you're going to shut the f--- up?" Both are unfulfilled in their relationship. His best friend Barry
(Eckhart of LaBute's first film, In The Company Of Men) invites Jerry and his girlfriend over
to see him and his shy wife Mary (Brenneman). Barry admits to Jerry privately that the best sex
he has is with himself, mostly because he is usually impotent with his wife. Mary is equally unhappy,
just desiring someone to hold her. During the evening, Jerry suggests privately to Mary they should
see each other, and Mary, yearning for some intimacy, agrees.
Meanwhile, Terri meets a lovely artist's assistant Cheri (Kinski), and they go out for coffee, and later for a little passion on the sofa. Barry regularly works out at a seedy gym with an ruthless, self-absorbed doctor Cary (Patric), whose idea of the "decent thing to do" is to write on hospital stationary to an old girlfriend who broke up with him that she had slept with someone HIV positive. He tells Barry "the complete revenge f--- is always the best" after he sleeps with a co-worker who criticized his work, and then berates her to teach her a lesson. He is totally honest - doesn't care enough about anyone else to consider worrying about what they might think. He records himself talking dirty, and plays the tapes to inspire him while working out. He is not a nice man. As the previous description illustrates, there is not a lot by way of plot in Your Friends & Neighbors. It essentially consists of two couples, and another man and woman coupling and uncoupling. The thrust of the movie consists of talking about, working up to, and being disappointed by sex. Little action or nudity is actually shown. It is an expose on modern, urban life where couples yearn for intimacy, but have no clue how to communicate. Each character has a need to fulfill, but they can't fulfill it, no matter how much coupling they do. Mary just wants to be held, but can't find a man willing. Terri just wants someone who doesn't analyse everything and will shut up during sex, but finds Cheri doing some of the same things as Jerry. Barry and Jerry don't really know what they want. When anyone is asked by their partner or a friend how things are going, each routinely answers that everything is just fine - there is little attempt at honesty or sharing, because they don't trust anyone enough to share. Other than Cary's pleasure in sadistic manipulation of his conquests, there is little joy in any of their lives. Mining some of the same territory as LaBute's first film In The Company Of Men, it is not as good a film for several reasons. Firstly, the plot is loosely constructed, with many excellent scenes not well enough connected. Secondly, there are no redeeming characters, no contrast in behaviour that occurred between the deaf office girl and her two antagonists in In The Company Of Men. And thirdly, there's no way you're going to beat the ending in the first film. But what it has going for it is a savagely funny script that has you laughing when you know you shouldn't. And the performances are all quite good. I've never been a great fan of Patric, but his intense, cold style is absolutely perfect for the completely amoral Cary. The best scene in the movie involves Cary's vivid recollection of his "best" sexual experience involving a surprising partner and an incredible amount of self-delusion. Keener is equally good as the unfeeling Terri who just doesn't want to hear what anyone else has to say. Brenneman delivers a nice understated performance as the shy, insecure woman who can't quite find what it is she really wants and needs. And Stiller presents a manipulative, unsympathetic guy who has to analyse everything, but can never understand or communicate with those around him. Which is kind of surprising for a dramatic arts teacher. This is basically Woody Allen drenched in acid. With the laughs.  
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