Movie Review: Friends With Money

By Sarah Tucker

Thursday, April 27, 2006

The perceptive and funny Friends With Money thoughtfully examines the relationships and friendships of four thirty-something friends in Los Angeles. The film depicts three wealthy women, played by Catherine Keener, Joan Cusack and Francis McDormand, all of whom are married, and their single, blue-collar friend, Jennifer Aniston. The financial divide is apparent in the opening scenes of the film, which shows Aniston’s character cleaning a house for her job as a maid, while the other three women are remodeling houses and chatting about fundraisers. Because there is no plot to this film, one would think it is not engaging enough to sustain anyone’s attention.

Surprisingly, though, the film is interesting, as it drifts through marriage troubles, aging and financial woes with a fresh wit and believable characters.

The film’s version of a plot consists of all the characters gossiping about each other. Aniston, who is the most recognizable, is mediocre in a role that any thirty-something actress could handle.

The best aspects of the movie belong to her three friends, who give it a realistic poignancy with their revelations and disappointments. Catherine Keener shines as the wife of an insensitive man, and Joan Cusack provides the comedy effortlessly. In a challenging and often changing character, Francis McDormand has the most material to work with, which she realistically and capably handles.

One of the main problems with the film is that the friendship between Aniston’s character and her diverse friends is very hard to buy. The three wealthy women gossip and say they are concerned about Aniston’s character and aren’t overly friendly to her when they are around one another.

In the end, Friends With Money quietly impresses with its bold and truthful script and layered performances. This film proves, through the tumultuous lives of these women, that money doesn’t solve everything.

South Wind 12

Rated: R, 88 minutes

4 STARS

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