How Money Is It?

Just a few weeks ago, Bendi was telling me of his lasting impression after seeing the indie drama Friends With Money. As this blog is devoted to two movie-lovers agreeing or disagreeing on whether certain movies are worth a damn, I took it upon myself to go out and see Friends so that we can provide feedback for your reading pleasure.

I will not disclose any information about Bendi's opinion. It is only fair that he do that himself. However, I will say that I agree with him that the film is pretty good.

The plot focuses on four longtime friends played by Jennifer Anniston, Joan Cusack, Frances McDormand, and Catherine Keener. They all have similar interests, but one thing sets Anniston apart from her peers: money. While her pals are married to wealthy men and devote dinner conversation to how many millions they have given to the most recent fund-raising shindig, Anniston miserably tries to reconfigure her life while working as a house cleaner.

Friends With Money is not likely to top my favorites list of the year (well…that depends on how many good movies 2006 has to offer). However, it is probably a better choice in film this week than say Poseidon. The film is flawed by the way it jumps from character to character not giving the audience a chance to really invest in them. The always charming Cusack is hardly given any screen time and McDormand spends her time ranting like a lunatic. At the same time, it is this ambiguity which benefits the film at times. Take for example the role of Simon McBurney as McDormand's sexually ambiguous husband. The character is fashion-centric and misidentified (or is he?) as gay by men and women on the street. While the film primarily focuses on Anniston's predicament, it is hard not to take an interest in McBurney's character. This may have a lot to do with him being the only husband character that is given attention.

Overall, Friends With Money is what it is. While not spectacular, it is a quality effort that is worth the admission, at least as a way of dodging flacid blockbuster fare.

Grade: B

Review Update

I’ve heard a lot of rave reviews about The Squid and the Whale, and I was psyched to finally catch a screening over the weekend. Unfortunately, Noah Baumbach (Kicking and Screaming, the non-Will Ferrell version) falls a bit short with this dramedy about family dysfunction. Perhaps my I walked away from the film with little because I fail to empathize with a family so messed up. However, if that were the reason, I wouldn’t love American Beauty so much. The film’s script about high brow scholar parents (Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney) going through a divorce, and their personalities affecting their two sons is sharp at times. Daniels is especially on the mark as a cheap skate PhD that thinks anyone without a doctorate is a “philistine”. However, it is the direction that fails. I expected various moments of the picture to be hard-hitting, but the awkward, abrupt cuts prevent this from happening. At times, I thought during the film that Baumbach’s direction was strikingly similar to Wes Anderson. Guess who pops up in the closing credits as a producer? Coincidence? Grade: C+

Another mediocre flick on the market is Wolf Creek. The Australian horror flick took Sundance by storm and was hailed as Australia’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I am not sure if I would go so far to say that. At times, the indie flick has a terrific gritty feel with some well-chosen music. Plus, Australian actor John Jarrett is wicked at times as the sadistic villain. The problem is that it goes for the “watch as we unmercifully torture people” angle and somehow manages to not scare. It just makes me wish the movie is over. Another film I saw this year, The Devil’s Rejects, was just as unmerciful, but at least it had interesting characters and an original style. Wolf Creek is best left for video. Grade: C