Friends With Money

"I just, guess I feel there's no more wondering what's it gonna be like."
--"Like what's gonna be like?"
--"My fabulous life."

I'm glad to know my friends aren't the only ones who blab to each other about our problems and try to give the appearance to even our close confidantes that our lives aren't as bad as they sometimes are. In Friends With Money, we're introduced to four women, played by Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener, Joan Cusack and Jennifer Aniston, who are best friends who each see the grass a little yellower in the other woman's lawn. Meaning, they each find ways to turn their noses up at the other woman for things such as marrying a man who they think is a homosexual, downgrading to become a housemaid, being stuck in a dead-end marriage, and not being able to ever have a healthy conflict with her husband. Each woman appears to have their own set of problems, but have no problem pointing out the flaws of their friends.
But what makes this story interesting is the bond that each woman shares, not only with each other, but what they eventually come to terms with themselves. Eventually they see that their lives are perfectly imperfect, and that's just fine.
Friends With Money isn't an action film, it has no real surprises, and generally has a very subtle plot. But what it does has is heart. I guess this is the type of film they like to label as "a slice of life." I like to venture and call it "a coming of age" film.

Friends with Money is available on DVD.

My rating: B+