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FILM DETAILS

Certificate 15

Cast Jennifer Aniston Joan Cusack Catherine Keener Frances McDormand Jason Isaacs.

Directors Nicole Holofcener.

Screenwriters Nicole Holofcener.

Running Time 88 minutes

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Friends With Money
Three women meddle in their friend's life - just say no ladies.

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Plot
Four women find their friendships affected by their differing lifestyles. Designer Jane (McDormand), screenwriter Christine (Keener) and super-rich Franny (Cusack) focus on sorting out slacker Olivia (Aniston), who lacks a husband or purpose. In the process, they discover all is not rosy in their worlds.

Review

Nicole Holofcener’s third pleasing — if sketchy — foray among women’s relationships (after Lovely & Amazing and Walking And Talking) benefits from the men in their lives. Keener, as the patented dissatisfied bitch she plays so well, is bored and irked with husband Jason Isaacs, which alienates her from a multitude who’d shut up and thank their lucky stars.   

McDormand’s pre-menopausal anger mismanagement and hygiene issues are a highlight, as are her effeminate husband’s (Simon McBurney) unwitting gay encounters, making them the most entertaining duo. Cusack’s delightful Franny and her husband (Greg Germann) fly in the face of PC wisdom because they are the richest but also the nicest, happiest people, with nothing to gripe about. Meanwhile Aniston’s unsettled, younger Olivia takes work as a cleaner and takes up (inexplicably) with a hilariously appalling physical trainer (Scott Caan).

Taken as it comes this is very amusingly observed, playing like a string of fairly sharp, funny improv skits. It doesn’t hold together if you start thinking about it, though, because so many of the characters are annoying and their raisons d’être both unplumbed and unresolved. How and when did poor Olivia become part of this set anyway? And what IS she doing with that boor?

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Your Reviews

Average user rating for Friends With Money

i expected more from an Empire review to be honest i loved it and did not find any characters annoying (apart from Jason Isaacs one, what an awful husband and partner) in fact I feel like I watched a different movie altogether than Angie Errico? ... More

Posted by kachna_ff at 13:44, 12 July 2010 | Report This Post

i expected more from an Empire review to be honest i loved it and did not find any characters annoying (apart from Jason Isaacs one, what an awful husband and partner) in fact I feel like I watched a different movie altogether than Angie Errico? ... More

Posted by kachna_ff at 13:44, 12 July 2010 | Report This Post

Funny And Moving.

With a great known cast, Friends With Money is a funny yet moving film. ... More

Posted by joanna likes films at 13:30, 08 June 2010 | Report This Post

Funny And Moving.

With a great known cast, Friends With Money is a funny yet moving film. ... More

Posted by joanna likes films at 13:30, 08 June 2010 | Report This Post

Good film. Great cast. Very complex characters.

First, Aniston remains the standout in this film. The whole cast was great (Keener, Cusack), but she did her best performance since "The Good Girl". Actually, this is one of the most wonderful ensemble cast I've seen in a film, but, something, kind of, lacked in this film. Nicole Holofcener's film has a little, but, really, very minimal, lack of feeling. The story was very refreshing, and so was the screenplay. I cannot say that this is the best film ever made, but it's one of the best... More

Posted by nc_jj at 04:32, 30 April 2009 | Report This Post

an impeccable ensemble that deserves our attention and empathy. ... More

Posted by moviemaniac2 at 17:24, 07 April 2007 | Report This Post

... More

Posted by Chaaa at 15:00, 15 June 2006 | Report This Post

Wonderful Cast & must see film

I was blown away by the range and depth of this movie. terrific cast, flawless acting by all involved and the most "real" characters I have seen in a movie for a long time. Definitely the best film I have seen this year so far. ... More

Posted by rachifer at 18:37, 03 June 2006 | Report This Post

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