There’s something appealing about the kind of conversation that takes place amongst friends after three in the morning, the one that normally either devolves into an in depth philosophical debate or an endless parade of running gags that seem a lot less funny the next day. Seeming to create a film based off of one of these discussions, Roy Koriakin, the writer and director of “John”, profiles a typical night in the lives of X (Mike Press) and Numby (Kirke Gardener), two friends who pontificate on subjects ranging from dating deaf people to using cartoons as effective metaphors as they spend their time dealing drugs in a unisex club bathroom. While “John” may be full of amusing inside jokes for Roy Koriakin and his friends, the rambling dialogues coupled with the paper thin plot (two guys talk and comment on people they meet in a bathroom all night) make it less than enthralling for everyone else.
Despite a good natured spirit, not a lot happens in “John”, the two main plot points involve X warning Numby that this may be his last night dealing drugs due to pressure from his psychotic girlfriend Liz (Michelle Caparros) and the constant handoff of a stash of drugs sold by our heroes in the beginning of the evening as it is passed around through the motley crew of characters who enter the bathroom. The film is primarily a vehicle for X and Numby to speak their minds, but unlike the similarly themed “My Dinner with Andre,” which used an after hours conversation amongst friends to tackle issues such as hope, despair and finding inner peace, “John” seems content to point out that deaf people talk funny and that Numby earned his nickname because one time he slept on his balls.
In the end, “John” isn’t terrible but also never aspires to be much more than two guys shooting the s**t in a bathroom about anything that pops into their heads. At one point, the game of “Edward Fortyhands” a game where two guys have forties taped to their hands and have to finish their drinks before they are taken off, is discussed and if you find this idea amusing then this just might be the film for you.
