AUSTIN, Texas — Seemingly coming out of nowhere in the wide world of film is the wild and hilarious “Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down.” Making a brief theatrical run on the festival circuit earlier this year, the film garnered enough attention to grab a few awards and is now out on DVD. This is writer and director Paul Sapiano’s first feature; be sure to look out for his name in future projects.
The film is equal parts mockumentary, multi-character narrative and wise ass instructional video for young adults looking to successfully experience the party scene. Thankfully, the guide has enough sex, drugs and debauchery to go around.
“The Guide” simply follows a handful of young men and women at various bars, clubs and house parties. It breaks the narrative into basic instructional chapters on the various requirements and proper behavior expected at said locations.
Although “The Guide” focuses specifically on the Los Angeles scene, the rules are applicable anywhere.
A drawback I would have expected from such a project would be for it to run too stale too fast, but “The Guide” manages to avoid this trap with its fast pace — it never focuses too long on one character or topic and remains fresh throughout its 90-minute running time.
With such a location and character shifting narrative, the film’s best moments are its smaller ones. Such a highlight comes in the chapter on how to properly spot a decent house party: simply look for either men peeing on the wall outside or a lone drunk girl crying on the steps.
The tips for “Getting Down” on which “The Guide” focuses are practically countless — everything from how to get past club bouncers to how to properly roll a joint to even driving home smashed (it does not condone this, however) are covered, all with the help of deadpan voice-overs by a scholarly sounding male-female duo.
Although the film maintains a sarcastic and lighthearted tone throughout its duration, its examination of the drugged up, liquored up and very, very horny lifestyle of the party-going young adult is dead-on here, which of course makes it all the more entertaining and biting.
The biggest surprise of “The Guide” is saved for the last third of the film, where it takes a rather dramatic shift of tone into potential pitfalls of the party scene and how to avoid them.
For example, if one is unsure about going home with a stranger, or if one is already too drunk to decide, simply go home alone and go to bed — sound advice I dearly wish had been given to us in my high school health course.
As for the talents of the many actors of the film, I wish I could dish out some honest praise. If there is a weak aspect of the whole thing, they would be it. The cast’s interactions come off much more rehearsed than they should be, even for a mockumentary.
Fortunately, “The Guide” does not seem to be striving for deep character development, but rather an honest look at the possible situations one may expect in the party scene. The lackluster team of actors are not the core to the success of the picture.
That success lies in humorous and never-condescending views of the party scene. Major points for originality must be awarded to Sapiano for unveiling a very original and fresh look into the life of the young adult.