Friends With Money (2006)

With an ensemble cast as strong as this, writer/director Nicole Holofcener would have had a hard time going too far wrong with her latest movie. The story examines the relationship of four longtime friends, three of whom have achieved the stereotypical trappings of what is considered success in Los Angeles society. They have money, husbands, lavish houses and each has a well-behaved young son that quietly fits into their charmed lives like another piece of fancy furniture. The catalyst is the fourth friend, Olivia, played by Jennifer Anniston.

Olivia shares none of the “successes” of her friends. She’s a former teacher who quit because she was fed up, is working as a housecleaner to make ends meet. The richest friend, Franny (played by Joan Cusack), acknowledges that if they all met today, she probably wouldn’t even be friends with Olivia. And yet, even in the midst of a desolate loneliness driving Olivia to smoke pot every night and crank call her married ex, it is actually Olivia who often comes off as the hopeful character.

Christine, played by the stunningly beautiful Katherine Keener, is caught in the midst of the realization that her marriage is completely falling apart. She and her husband after a year of not having sex squabble incessantly and start an addition on their house in a feeble metaphoric attempt to re-create the “happy home” they obviously haven’t had in quite a while.

Frances McDormand gives a brilliant performance as a successful clothing designer whose rage bubbles up hilariously. She seems to be in the midst of a life crisis stemming from the realization that she might have already achieve all that her life has to offer. McDormand capitalizes on her wonderful ability to express so much through physicality. I felt her repressed anger positively crackle on the screen. While I was flinching for her, I could imagine myself having similar episodes of rage.

Franny, who is notably richer than her otherwise quite comfortably rich friends, isn’t facing any outward crisis. And yet, her life is shallowly grounded on nothing. She is a stay home mom with full time help. With no career and no responsibilities, she seems to be floating in a sea of moneyed oblivion that forces her to do nothing more than make decisions about how should they best donate their millions.

This movie succinctly touches on a lot of interesting and relevant issues. Notice how at some point each women is shown grappling with some issue pertaining to their sense of body/beauty. Holofcener works this in quite subtly when you realize these women are living in LA, the epicenter of women struggling to control their body to conform to a sense of what’s considered beautiful.

Overall it’s a dark, dark comedy that feels more than a little depressing. I left the theater really glad I wasn’t one of these women, but not at all unhappy for getting to share a peak into their lives.

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