Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
Big day for Fox Searchlight here on the site. First there was a ONE HOUR PHOTO review, and now here’s a peek at THE GOOD GIRL, a Sundance acquisition from this spring. I have faith that Jennifer Aniston is better than she’s been allowed to demonstrate so far, and this just might be the film where she proves it. Let’s see what our reviewer thought:
Hey Harry. Been quite a while since I wrote and this is certainly not earth shattering. Just wanted to share some thoughts on Jennifer Aniston's new flick The Good Girl, directed by Miguel Arteta and written by Mike White, the team that made Chuck and Buck.
Can you suspend disbelief enough to accept that Jennifer Aniston works at a Walmart type store and is married to an out-of-shape pothead played by John C. Reilly. I know people who found this to be a huge detriment to the film. Though it's obvious that effort was put into making Aniston appear unglamorous, the fact is that she is gorgeous. Up to this point, Aniston's filmography has consisted of mainly supporting roles in decent flicks (She's The One, Office Space) and starring roles in pure crap (Rock Star, Picture Perfect). This film will probably be remembered as her first true acting stretch from Friends. Well, beauty aside, Aniston is quite believable as Justine, a disenchanted 30-year old fed up with her mundane existence. Aniston finds solace with a younger co-worker, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. They both feel like the world sucks and no one understands them. So begins an affair that shakes up her life quite a bit.
Two important reasons why the film works are the casting of the men in Justine's life. As the Holden Cauffield-wannabe boy toy, Gyllenhaal effortlessly makes transitions from whiny to profound. Reilly also finds the appropriate balance between being lovable and just a flat-out loser. These characters are not one-dimensional, so it is never obvious which one Justine should choose.
Arteta has made a frustrating film, especially in the way he conveys the dullness of Justine's world from her workplace. Though this is fairly mainstream compared to the eccentricity of Chuck and Buck, The Good Girl leaves the audience with no easy answers. The title of the film makes no sense. Justine is not some Reverend's daughter who has avoided sin her whole life. She is an average woman who wants to escape her boring life. That Justine never seems selfish is a credit to Aniston because we feel that sense of longing in her.
I liked that I didn't know where the movie was going. Any path that Aniston's character chooses in her life comes with a potent set of positive and negative consequences. Without giving the ending away, the path she ultimately takes seems realistic to me in a world where many people do miss out on happiness for more repsonsible choices. The Good Girl is worth checking out.
Now, back to waiting for December 17th to roll around. I'm drooling for that BTTF boxed set.
Marty McFly
I’m also interested because of Gyllenhaal. Between this, MOONLIGHT MILE, and LOVELY & AMAZING, it’s good to see this guy working so much.
"Moriarty" out.
