Tales of the Golem; or, the Modern Epimetheus

They'd wish success for themselves and their friends

We went to see Friends with Money. It is a character study of three wealthy couples and their non-wealthy single friend, played by Jennifer Aniston, who has quit her teaching job and started working as a maid.

The movie gradually reveals the psychological problems that the various characters have (with the possible exception of the wealthiest couple who arguably don't have any problems at all) but it is not big on plot developments, or explanation, or closure. Few if any of the characters have changed or resolved their problems by the end of the movie. There is no obvious point or moral. I found the movie mildly enjoyable but not really powerful in any way.

Jennifer Aniston is cornering the market on sex scenes in which she evinces a total lack of interest in the loser banging away at her. There was an almost identical scene in The Good Girl.

It is fairly surreal to be watching a movie and realize that the characters in the scene are walking and talking on the sidewalk right outside the movie theater you are watching the movie in. I had a similar experience with Super Size Me, but in that case the McDonald's was about a block away from the theater. This was even closer, directly outside.

posted by Richard Mason @ Saturday, June 10, 2006