Much in the way I didn't really know what to make of Lena Dunham's HBO comedy series Girls when it first premiered, I wasn't sure how to feel about supporting star Adam Driver or his character Adam, love interest to Dunham's Hannah. Like the series, Adam remains sort of an intriguing mystery to me, sometimes coming off as shallow, other times surprisingly deep, funny and occasionally dark and broody. And like Girls, I never really knew exactly what we were going to get from the character, but one thing was consistent - Driver's performance. Perhaps that's why the character grew on me slowly but steadily over the course of the series' first season. So, word that he's joining the cast of a romcom definitely piques my interest.
Variety reports that Driver is set to join the cast of The F Word, a romantic comedy by Michael Dowse (Goon), which is set to star Daniel Radcliff and Zoe Kazan. The story has Radcliffe and Kazan playing two people who meet at a party and hit it off, though Kazan's character has a boyfriend. They try to be just friends (there's the referenced "F word"). I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this proves to be a challenge.
It's not especially unusual for romcom male leads to have a wingman-type male best friend to offer insight, advice and commentary on whatever said male lead is dealing with romantically. Call it the Jess-effect (When Harry Met Sally...) and take Charlie Day's character in Going the Distance as a recent example. Not only did he offer a few opinions on the subject of relationships, but he also blasted Top Gun music through the wall when Justin Long and Drew Barrymore were about to go at it. That's a pal. It sounds like Driver is set to play that type of role in The F World. Variety describes his part as, "Radcliffe's brash, ethically dubious confidant, who helps him navigate his romantic dilemma."
I don't have any trouble picturing him in this role.
With Goon being one of my favorite comedies this year, I'm already on board for The F Word due to Dowse's involvement (and Goon producers David Gross and Jesse Shapira are among the producers for this one through No Trace Camping). I also like the simplicity of the premise, which I expect poses the question: Can a man and a woman just be friends (even if they're attracted to one another)? Factor in Radcliffe, Kazan and now Driver, this project has a lot of potential to be one of the better romantic comedies coming up.
