Support the Girls

Andrew Bujalski serves up a big-hearted comedy with his day-in-the-life look at Double Whammies – a Hooters-style bar and its tight-knit, all-female staff.

A ‘sports bar with curves’, with an oddly family-friendly emphasis, the ‘breastaurant’ is a peculiar American phenomenon. In the expert hands of mumblecore hero Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha), one of the US indie scene’s most versatile filmmakers, it’s also a perfect venue through which to reveal the modern workplace: ruthless corporate exploitation, defiant workers’ solidarity, and messy gender and racial politics. But that’s never at the expense of insightful, even-handed characterisation and believably funny, touching situations.

It’s nigh on impossible not to find these take-charge women the best company around, from Haley Lu Richardson and Dylan Gelula’s star employees to the ever-excellent Regina Hall’s compassionate, crisis-managing boss. ‘No drama,’ demands James Le Gros’ uptight, sexist owner. Naturally, Bujalski – and his girls – disrespectfully disagree.