Friends with Money
A quartet of lifelong friends have achieved a level of comfort in their lives and have settled into a life of designer clothes, charity events, and caring for the men (and offspring) in their lives. But as they approach 'a certain age,' unsettling things are starting to throw their comfortable lives off balance.
There's Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) who, reaching a personal crisis, has quit her teaching job and is now cleaning houses for a living. She is looking for support — fiscal and emotional — from her more well-heeled acquaintances and continues her search for a significant other among the slim pickings on offer. Jane and Aaron (Frances McDormand, Simon McBurney) are successful designers whose marriage has reached a pivotal point in which the pair have become oblivious to each other's concerns, and perhaps even to their own natures.
Christine and her husband Patrick (Catherine Keener, Jason Isaacs) are a professionally partnered, screenwriting couple whose latest projects — co-writing a script and expanding their house — raise tensions at home to a new level. Franny and Matt (Joan Cusack, Bob Stephenson) are the independently wealthy ones, raising their two children amidst an abundant lifestyle that calls their united front of a partnership into question.
Member Reviews
Seasoned cast, intriguing theory - movie_goer
Friends with Money is hard to swallow at times, a great character study on the fact that people grow and some get left behind in the dust. All because of the mighty dollar.
Like myself I resenated well with Anistons character who has heart, but lack of motivation to fight the worlds struggles and bad days tactfully with dignity and without assuming a chip on my shoulder. In the end she found her prince charming whose filthy rich. Literally, but at what expense do we learn to bow out. Or in this case find our self worth?Friends with Money - julianrjh
It's a shame this movie stars Jennifer Aniston, because, despite her good performance, her celebrity attracts the wrong audience for a movie like this and it ends up with a bad reputation by the same people who think her habitual romantic comedies are movie magic.
Essentially, this is a quiet character study of various "types" - it works really well, in my opinion, for people who have been married for a long time, to see themselves through the married characters, to see how those married characters measure themselves against their unmarried or unsuccessful friends, and how that affects relationships.
Frances McDormand is really good here - she tends to be anyways, but I found her particularly interesting in this role. Catherine Keener is also terrific, though one could argue she's basically playing the stock bitchy Catherine Keener character.
Anyways, if you liked Lovely & Amazing, I would recommend this one - it's very much in the same style.Superbly Acted Character Study - sparklish
This film was plugged with the image of Jennifer Aniston in a French maid outfit, giving the impression that this was yet another Aniston comedy. In fact, it's much more - it's a dark character study of seven people each of whom think the others have it easier. Elements are reminiscent of films like "Married to It" or "Happiness." There is some phenomenal acting from the whole cast, notably Joan Cusack, Frances McDormand and Simon McBurney. Aniston herself is compelling and convincing, in a more nuanced version of her character in "The Good Girl." This film has been vastly underrated is definitely worth a viewing - just don't expect another movie like "The Break-Up."
Member Reviews
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Seasoned cast, intriguing theory - movie_goer
Friends with Money is hard to swallow at times, a great character study on the fact that people grow and some get left behind in the dust. All because of the mighty dollar.
Like myself I resenated well with Anistons character who has heart, but lack ...Friends with Money - julianrjh
It's a shame this movie stars Jennifer Aniston, because, despite her good performance, her celebrity attracts the wrong audience for a movie like this and it ends up with a bad reputation by the same people who think her habitual romantic comedies are movie ...Superbly Acted Character Study - sparklish
This film was plugged with the image of Jennifer Aniston in a French maid outfit, giving the impression that this was yet another Aniston comedy. In fact, it's much more - it's a dark character study of seven people each of whom think the others have it easier. ...