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List Price: $14.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 15185
Released: August 29, 2006 |
| Our Price: $0.66 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Jennifer Aniston Catherine Keener Frances McDormand and Joan Cusak star in a film the New York Times hails as "a bittersweet comedy about the drama of being alive'" ' Manohla Dargis/New York Times FRIENDS WITH MONEY ' the story of four best friends whose comfortable lives are thrown off balance as the realities of early middle age set in. It paints a painfully hilarious portrait of modern life in the class-sensitive West side of Los Angeles. Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener (Lovely and Amazing) Friends With Money was the Opening Night Selection at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and is being hailed as "Terrific" ' Kenneth Turan/Los Angeles Times "Acutely perceptive and slyly quick-witted" ' Allison Benedikt/Chicago Tribune.SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary with writer/director Nicole Holofcener and producer Anthony Bregman Behind-the-scenes featurette Sundance Featurette Los Angeles Premiere FeaturetteSystem Requirements:Running Time 88 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 043396150881 Manufacturer No: 15088
Description of Friends with Money:
With her third feature, Friends With Money, writer-director Nicole Holofcener continues to develop one of the most distinctive voices in American independent filmmaking. While not as purely satisfying as her previous films Walking and Talking and Lovely and Amazing, Holofcener's third feature is admirably ambitious in establishing a diverse and dynamic range of relationships among long-time girlfriends, their spouses (for better and worse), and the way in which money (or lack of it) affects them all. The have-not of the group is Olivia (Jennifer Aniston), a teacher-turned pot-smoking housecleaner in the upscale neighborhoods of West Los Angeles. She's drifting, uncertain of her future both professionally and romantically, while her friends Franny (Joan Cusack), Christine (Catherine Keener), and Jane (Frances McDormand) cope with the relatively enviable problems of wealthy discontentment. They've all got personal crises to resolve, and while Olivia juggles the affections of a likable louse (Scott Caan) and a lonely slob who's secretly rich (Bob Stephenson), Holofcener taps a rich vein of humor and melancholy as these women go about their daily routines, attending benefits, chatting over meals, and doting over Olivia as the "needy one" in their closed circle of friendships. All of this is richly observed and wonderfully acted (with male costars played by Greg Germann, Jason Isaacs, and Simon McBurney), but reaction to Friends With Money is strictly a matter of personal taste. Holofcener isn't telling a story so much as examining lives in various states of disarray, and she offers no false comforts or simple resolutions. Like life, Friends With Money just continues on its way, with some friends happier than others. There's plenty of truth to be found, if you know where to look.--Jeff Shannon
Friends with Money Reviews:
Disappointment 
2008-08-29 - All I can say is that I was incredibly disappointed in this movie. It lacked content worthy of a film so badly. I am a big fan of both Jennifer Aniston and Joan Cusack and I was psyched to see them together in a film, but both of their characters bored me. I found it to be a very forgetable story.
not a bad movie at all 
2008-04-25 - Friends with Money was a pretty good comedy movie with a bit of seriousness and truth thrown in. It's about all these different couples who talk to each other, and then when the girlfriends and boyfriends (or wives and husbands) leave their friends home (or restaurant or wherever the meeting place was) on the drive home, they criticize their friends and basically talk about them behind their backs.
I got the feeling on many occasions that the wives and girlfriends were more concerned with being jealous of each other instead of actually caring about the friendships they've developed with each other. I think that's part of reality anyway- secretly we do become jealous of our friends when they're able to accomplish something we haven't been able to yet.
There's also an important message behind this film- don't take things too seriously or you won't be able to enjoy life. Of course, the more obvious message is that it really stinks how the world has to constantly revolve around money, but I got more out of this movie than just that.
Anyway, the film was really good. Don't make the mistake of thinking it's a romantic comedy in the beginning. This movie works for just about anybody. You have to allow time to get to know the characters and the way they act to really enjoy the storyline. Each character has a separate personality from the others, which makes you wonder how they all became friends in the first place.
Another thing I enjoyed was the way many of the friends would start out acting like they were getting along great with each other, only for their conversations to end on an angry note until they met again!
All the characters were really good throughout the movie, and there was more than enough exciting plot twists to make it a movie worth watching.
Don't Waste Your Friends' Time or Your Money
2008-04-06 - Don't waste your time on this movie. I saw it for free and still felt robbed! (A friend rented it.)
The plot--as best as I could discern one--seemed to be something along the lines of "Life is a mess, feel free to despair amongst yourselves." If I want stories about despair, I'll just stay at work. (I work in ER's and an Urgent Care Clinic)
Interwoven through this overriding theme of despair, the values and morals showcased in this movie are typically Hollywood these days--that is to say, abysmal to non-existent.
What a waste of some otherwise great talent. Joan Cusack in particular is WAY above this movie. Her agent should be fired, and then shot for letting her take this movie.
I would rather sell my TV than watch this movie again!!!
I love the Clothesline Mcdormond's character creates in the movie 
2008-02-02 - Now if you've ever been in this situation you might change your mind... I like how the "tables turn" in the movie. Jennifer plays a girl out on her luck and taken to cleaning houses for the wealthy side. Not her best roll, however, how else would she play this? How exciting is cleaning other peoples homes? Think about it! She's going through "a change" and hey, she's doing something...although somewhat of a stall... She is considering going to school to become a massage therapist? Jennifer's character asks her wealthy "friend" for a loan for massage school and get's basically slapped in the face!? Well how cruel!
The under currents going on could have been stoked more, yes, I agree. More could have offered up a deeper peering in the pond of life but... I like seeing that Jennifer comes out ahead, with a nice guy who happens to have money! #1 she gives him a "shot", before she knows this and how perfect is that.
I have watched this movie twice now. It Deserves a second viewing.
best film in recent years about growing up and how people change 
2007-12-24 - As we get older our differences become more pronounced. This film, while not exactly indicative of the east coast world I live in, still has many truths. These people may not be people I know but the situations, the subtleties, the feel of the film is all honest.
The film says all the things that we all do and say and sense in others. Sometimes the conversations I find myself or often times others around me embroiled in as an adult just stuns me. Furniture, film tastes, kids, money, paving my driveway. It's funny. It can also be a bit sad. This film captures this dynamic so well. While no masterpiece it is still a simple gem.
It was also nice to see a film about women for a change. As a guy I can say it was refreshing. Seems women go through the same stuff guys do after all.
