Okay, let me start my review (Or long ramble) by going over the star power in the film.

Frances McDormand - Wonderful actress. Her best performance was in Fargo, but since then she has managed to shine in films that have been otherwise subpar (North Country).

Catherine Keener - She has been a great supporting actress in many films, such as The Interpreter, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Capote and The 40 Year Old Virgin, the last film she was especially great in.

Joan Cusack - She's a very good actress, but she has been hit or miss in her choices lately. Hit: Raising Helen and School of Rock. Miss: Ice Princess and Chicken Little (Based on reviews).

Jennifer Aniston - Once again, another good actress. Her film career hasn't been so great, with the exception of Bruce Almighty (Not because of her) and The Good Girl. But she might have a good enough film resume once The Break-Up comes out.

Not to mention the film has some good supporting actors in Jason Issacs and Scott Caan.


Notice a pattern here? These are all wonderful actresses. So, it was to my shock that all four of them have chosen to star in something so shallow, so inept in both comedy and drama and overall storytelling, that they should all be embarassed.

Never have I walked out of a movie theater and have someone turn to me (That I wasn't with) and said, "Well that fucking sucked." And the thing to worry about here, was that it was a woman who said it to me. Is it a big shocked that I didn't like the film? No, not really. But, if your core audience is female, and if they are walking out of the theater in disbelief, laughing at what they just saw, and not in a good way, and are saying the film fucking sucked, well you have problems.

What did I think of the film? Well for one, the movie has been advertised as a comedy. It's not even close to being that, except for some stuff in the first half. The last half of the film is just dead. Second of all, there are the characters themselves. None of them are likeable except for a slob. Most of them aren't supposed to be likeable, but just the reactions by a few of them are just baffling. For instance, Frances McDormand's husband in the film, "might be" a homosexual. How does she handle this? She freaks out at everyone who isn't her friend, and ends up walking into a glass window in an Old Navy and breaks her nose, after bitching about two people who "cut" her in line. How are we supposed to relate to her if she is psychotic?

Then there is the relationship between Jason Issacs and Catherine Keener. They write screenplays together and argue with one another. She realizes that he doesn't acknowledge her as much as he could and they disagree on building a second story to their house. They split up. Boo-Hoo. Who cares?

Then there is Joan Cusack. Her role could've just been eliminated all together. She and her husband are there to basically comment on the fact that Frances McDormand's character's husband might be gay.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the relationship between McDormand's husband in the film, and a new friend he made during the course of the film. Both of them have the same name. There is an implication that the other guy might be gay, just like him, even though he too is married. They go out basically on a date. Fine. But the relationship ends there. There is no further explanation as to the coincidences that happened there, and there is no further explanation of the relationship. The relationship is forgotten underneath all of the stories in the film. The only thing that they give us at the end of the film, is a look Frances McDormand gives her husband. That's all.

The film's lone saving grace is Jennifer Aniston. Even though her character's storyline is flawed, she is very good as the depressed pot smoking maid. Sadly, that's really all I have to say about her.

I wasn't really anticipating this film, but I did kind of want to see it because of the four women in the film. To call this a disappointment might be strecthing it, but this film not a good film at all.

D+

Friends With Money, Nicole Holofcener's third (and most impressive) feature, is a comedy about the drama that money seems to cause in our lives and relationships. Sure, not much really happens in the film. Sure, it meanders somewhat and doesn't tidy up many of its narratives. But that's a lot like life, isn't it? The strength of the film is how real all of the characters and their interactions with each other feel. Holofcener has concoted a sublime screenplay that gives all of the film's characters a chance to shine. Of course, Holofcener is helped by her tremendous cast. Joan Cusack is Franny, the only one of her friends to be wealthy, happily married and facing no significant problems. Christine (Catherine Keener) is part of a husband-wife screenwriting team, although her chilly relationship with her husband puts roadblocks in not only their professional life but also marriage. Jane (Frances McDormand) is a successful fashion designer with a metrosexual husband who all of her friends speculate is gay - but he's not, he just likes clothes. Jane has a loving relationship with her husband and is financially able, but finds herself frantically approaching a midlife crisis as she begins to become bothered by insignificant details of her life (people cutting in line at Old Navy, slow waiters, etc.). Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) is "unmarried, a pothead, and a maid." Once a relatively successful school teacher, Olivia now works cleaning other people's houses for a living, often taking samples of skin creams she likes. She continues to dwell on a previous affair with a married man, and enters a "relationship" with a jerk who demands part of her earnings even though all he does is have sex with her at the houses she cleans. Cusack is strong but underused, while Keener and McDormand excellently portray women who have started to become fed up with their routines in differing ways. As the center of the film, Jennifer Aniston delivers what is easily her strongest performance since The Good Girl, portraying Olivia as someone without money, happiness or self-esteem, settling for being a walking doormat. Overall, Friends With Money will frustrate those looking for closure to everything. What is does offer is a slice of life - a story of friendship, mainly, and the power of a dollar. A-

Charming film really that suceeds quite nicely thanks to both a terrific script and an excellent cast. Each of the four leading ladies certainly holds her own in the film, and each develops their respective characters quite well. The underlying story is also very well done and certainly delivers a mild social commentary in addition to an enjoyable film. B+

The first eighty minutes of the film is nearly unbearable. It's miserable people doing miserable things to each other for no apparent reason other than to be miserable. I don't mind films were there aren't many likeable characters, but the film has to at least be interesting on some level, whether it's visually or through the story. There has to be a hook. This one does not have one. However, the final ten minutes almost make up for the dreadful first eighty. The characters actually, *gasp*, STOP treating each other like shit, and they all have a chance to show a smidge of humanity. It's an incredible breath of fresh air. The introduction of Marty into the film nearly saves it, and I wish he were in it for the entire run time.

The technical aspects were so-so. Solid acting, but both the screenplay and direction are pretty bad for different reasons.

Anywho, I'm giving it a C. It was treading into D- territory before the great final act.

You would.

I love movies like this. Did you see/like LOVELY & AMAZING?

Friends With Money, the new film from writer/director Nicole Holofcener, tells the story of four best friends as they live their lives along the busy streets of Los Angeles. They are all very different people. Jane (Frances McDormand) is incredibly neurotic and married to a metrosexual (Simon McBurney), Franny (Joan Cusack) is wealthy and has a stable relationship with her husband (Greg Germann), Christine (Catherine Keener) is a screenwriter having marital problems with David (Jason Isaacs), and Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) is the lone single one of the group - spending her days working as a maid for the rich while trying to figure out what to do with her life.

More of a multiple character study than anything else, Friends With Money is an incredibly realistic look into the lives of four very different women united by one common cause - friendship. The film is a massive success, often hilarious but also sweet and touching at times. It walks the fine line between comedy and drama, and truly excels in both of these genres. This is largely in part to the strong screenplay and excellent performances, which are the driving force behind the film itself.

Holofcener writes a screenplay full of character detail, where each one is rich and developed. Although we don't initially know much about these people, we are drawn into their lives because they feel completely realistic. There is no typical Hollywood cliche present at any time in the screenplay, with all the dialogue feeling completely authentic and full of emotion. She also does a great job directing the film, with the handheld camera technique used to perfection here.

The performances, however, are what makes the film worth raving about. All four of the lead actresses are excellent in their portrayals of these characters. Jennifer Aniston is the best, instantly taking control of the screen with her subtle, yet undeniably charismatic and likable performance. She is completely believable here, never over-the-top yet always fascinating to watch. Her dramatic skills that were displayed in The Good Girl are once again present here, but she also excels when it comes to the comedic sequences as well. The audience will undoubtably sympathize with her flawed yet kindhearted persona in this film. She delivers one of the year's best female performances thus far.

Frances McDormand is also fantastic here, injecting her dialogue with lots of wit and sass. She makes the character her own and delivers a hilarious yet honest performance. Catherine Keener is strong as the most unsymapthetic of the group, allowing the audience to see past her seemingly cold and judgemental exterior into her sad mind. Joan Cusack is always a pleasure to watch onscreen, and, while she isn't given a whole lot to work with, she still manages to make the character her own thanks to great chemistry with co-star Greg Germann. The male cast members are generally unmemorable, with the exception of Simon McBurney in an amusing supporting role.

Overall, this is a great film thanks to the excellent performances and the witty, true-to-life screenplay. Jennifer Aniston's brilliant performance alone makes this a must-see. Highly recommended.

8/10 (A-)

Finally got out to see Friends with Money, and what a brilliant jumble it is...

The writer/director clearly is a expert observer of the human animal, yet has chosen to examine a very specific sub-species of the breed. Not to say I didn't enjoy the ride, but in the end I felt toyed with. A magnificent mess of a film...

4 out of 5.

I enjoyed it as well.

The whole "money-doesn't-bring-happiness" theme has been mined so many times that it's become a cliché, but the movie makes up for it with its strong performances and character driven dialogue. People actually talk to one and other. Jennifer Aniston and Catharine Keener are the stand-outs in my opinion. That one scene where Keener is arguing with her husband and says "If I were to scrape the fuck out of my arm..." was just such an unpretentious moment, and the actress nailed it with her delivery. Aniston is also good with these whoa-is-me roles, like this one and the one she had in The Good Girl.

B+

A lot funnier, and a lot less pretentious, than I expected.

The film's statements about life are slight, but appropriately so. Holofcener's hand is evident, and while the film at times straddles a thin line of either too much dour dialogue or too much levity, she pulls it off. Quite well, in fact, with a lot of wit and subtle humor. And I'd say haven't been so purely entertained by a film's dialogue since Closer.

A-

Loved it.

And if Catharine Keener could garner a nomination for Capote, how in the world could she not deserve one here?

Great movie. Enjoyed it.

Short and to the point review. Grade: A-

It's coming out here very soon. Would I like it?

I don't think so. C- from me.

A

I re-watched it tonight. What a fantastic little gem seriously. Every performance was astonishing. I really understand McDormand's character a little too well, but I relate with to Aniston's Olivia.