After she quits her teaching job, Olivia finds herself unsure
about her future and her relationships with her rich friends. DRAMA
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Friends with Money (2006)Written and Directed by Nicole Holofcener
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusack, Jason Isaacs, Greg Germann, Simon McBurney, Scott Caan, Bob Stephenson |
The cast of Friends with Money has caught my attention before, but I didn’t check it out until I saw Lovely & Amazing which was also written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. She is very good at writing stories about everyday people doing everyday things and especially with female characters. Friends with Money premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival along with some cool films like Lucky Number Slevin, Little Miss Sunshine, The Illusionist and Alpha Dog. It features a cast of performers that were at interesting points in their career and I always respect actors taking part in a smaller indie film like the ones Holofcener writes. It shows good taste and faith in the writer/director.
Olivia is a single woman working as a maid in Los Angeles. All of her friends are wealthy, but have their own problems. Franny is a stay at home with a massive trust fund, Christine is a successful television writer, and Jane is a fashion designer. They are all married and look down at Olivia in their own ways, but definitely don’t have their shit together. Franny and her husband argue about the money, Christine and her husband can’t communicate properly, and Jane’s frantic behavior in public causes arguments with her husband. The women lean on one another and try their best to carry on with life. Jennifer Aniston is fantastic as Olivia and I really wish her career would’ve taken a different path. Frances McDormand and Joan Cusack both bring a distinct style that fits Jane, Franny, and the setting so well. The winner of Friends with Money has to be Catherine Keener as Christine. She is Holofcener's go to actress and that’s probably because she can fucking do anything on the screen. It’s a real team effort in Friends with Money as the camera toggles through each couple and then hones in when they are hanging out together. I really like Holofcener’s style and I’m going to keep watching her films when I can. I know what I’m getting and that’s realistic stories depicted by really good actors. |