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Friends With Money (19-Jan-2006)
Director: Nicole Holofcener Writer: Nicole Holofcener Keywords: Romantic Comedy
REVIEWS Review by anonymous (posted on 15-Apr-2006) A film about relationships
that all adults can enjoy, relate to and chew over. Often laugh out
loud funny, whilst simultaneously depicting those dramatic human
interactions that bring your own conflicting emotions to the surface.
Nicole Holofcener (Walking and Talking, Lovely and Amazing) writes
superb dialogue and directs the ensemble cast with accomplished focus.
The film steps into the lives of the four women in their everyday
situation, with no back-story we are voyeurs into this snapshot moment;
Who has money, Who has a good marriage/ career/life, Where are the
characters in their lives? The couple with most money, Franny/Matt
(Joan Cusack/Greg Germann) seem the most happy and fulfilled. Our
experience of their life's journey appears practically seamless,
whereas Christine and David (Catherine Keener and Jason Isaacs) are
financially comfortable, but not with each other, living in a cold,
angry place. Trying to work together as a screen writing team, but at
this point clearly on opposite sides of the playing field and using the
extension of their house as an attempt at rescuing a relationship too
far gone. Similarly financially comfortable Jane (Frances McDormand) is
going through an emotional, depressive, sometimes almost psychotic
midlife crisis, portraying cringingly funny moments that we all
recognize. Husband Aaron (Simon McBurney) is sympathetic to her loss of
confidence, but needs nurturing of his own. His complex portrayal of
questionable sexuality and tentative exploration outside of his
marriage is exquisite. All three couples look at their younger friend
Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) and judge themselves further along in their
life's journey, both in the size of their bank accounts and their
relationship status, i.e., married. Olivia has given up her teaching
job, habitually calls her ex and gives him the silent treatment, smokes
pot at bedtime and haunts the malls for freebie cosmetic samples. To
make ends meet she works as a maid cleaning houses, while her
non-existent self esteem functions to bring her into humiliating
relationships with men. Jen's portrayal is subtle enough to be
convincing. She gives in to others even though she recognizes that it
is demeaning her and this draws the audience to her character. In one
of the funniest moments of the film Olivia smears $75 face cream onto
her feet as if saying 'So there!' to the world. Ultimately, the feel
good ending for Olivia at the end of the film feels right. Nicole
Holofcener elicits interest and empathy for her characters, with an
intellectually stimulating exploration of the topic of money and
relationships. The subtle content leaves the audience feeling enriched,
but wanting more. This is a film you may want to see more than once to
truly appreciate the many different levels on which the characters
operate. The amount of laughter the first time round often masks the
deeper levels in which the scenes and proponents engage - a must see
for grown ups.
Locate a copy of this film here.
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