Standing Up, Falling Down review: Billy Crystal is cooler than ever in boozy bromance

At the height of his fame, Billy Crystal was Mr Adorable. But this brilliant actor has always been capable of more. It’s his eyes. Seconds after twinkling, they can look cold and even creepy. The sequel of my dreams: When Harry Macheted Sally.

Anyway, in this US indie dramedy, Crystal plays a rancid, unreliable, ingratiating boozehound. And he totally nails it. After failing to make it as a stand-up comic in LA, Jewish thirtysomething Scott (Ben Schwartz) crawls back to Long Island to live with his parents and sister, Megan (the casually charismatic Grace Gummer, better known as Meryl Streep’s daughter). When he befriends Marty (Crystal) — a dermatologist who likes to piss in the sink — the pair cause havoc but also help each other to grow up.

Peter Hoare’s script contains bromantic clichés, it’s true. But just as many scenes confound. In a lovely set piece, Scott attempts to prove he’s the Whitest Man In The Bar (“I once bought a Bon Iver album in Whole Foods!”) and first-time director Matt Ratner hones in on Marty’s face. Marty is enchanted by edgy young things and that’s both his blessing and his curse. He wakes up after a “fun” one-night stand, with a much younger woman, looking a thousand years old.

Crystal’s got nothing to prove. He’s the voice of one of the funniest cartoon characters of all time (Mike Wazowski, from Monsters Inc). Yet, age 72, he’s still keen to stretch himself. Billy doesn’t want to be a hero. How very cool.

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