🍿78: Fair Play
This week, a guest review and your chance to put your questions to famous filmmakers 🎬
“The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
~ Wall Street, 1987
Our next guest requires no introduction…
This week’s review of Fair Play has been written by Salty Popcorn’s greatest supporter, and default sub-editor Mia. She’s been here before so we’ll skip the introduction - but you can click on her name above to see the other reviews she’s done for SP.
Before we jump to the headlines, a quick shoutout to some new friends that are bridging the gap between fans and filmmakers by connecting cinephiles around the world with some of the greatest films of all time.
With Picturehouse441, you can join acclaimed filmmakers in live Q&As as they answer your questions about the films you love. Whether you’re a mere movie lover, an aspiring filmmaker, or something in between, Picturehouse441 is bound to have something for you.
Upcoming events include Q&As with Speed director Jan de Bont, The Grand Budapest Hotel cinematographer Robert Yeoman and The Wolf of Wall Street screenwriter Terrance Winter. And guess what? Tickets are just $6, which is just under a fiver if you’re in the UK.
For more information or to book your place for one of the upcoming events, visit Picturehouse 441.
Now for the headlines:
Christian Bale, Florence Pugh and Robert Pattinson have been announced as the cast for The Boy And The Heron’s English-language dub. Read more.
Writer-director Rian Johnson has said he’s currently writing the third Knives Out film. Read more.
A long-lost X-Wing model has been auctioned for $3.1m, making it the most expensive Star Wars screen-used prop sold at auction. Read more.
And finally, Ridley Scott has reportedly described Fede Alvarez’s Alien sequel — due for release in August 2024 — as “fucking great”. Read more.
Upcoming Releases
The Iron Claw
UK: 9 February // USA: 22 December
Starring Jeremy Allen White, Zac Efron and Harris Dickinson, the latest drama from A24 is based on the true story of the Von Erich brothers, who made history in the world of professional wrestling in the early 80s.
Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sport.
American Fiction
UK: TBC // USA: 22 December
Fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive stereotypes, frustrated novelist Monk (Jeffrey Wright) sets out to make a point by writing an outlandish Black book of his own.
Fact of the week
You may already know that Christian Bale based his portrayal of Patrick Batemen in American Psycho on an interview Tom Cruise gave on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’, but did you know that Cruise actually made a cameo appearance in Bret Easton Ellis’s original novel?
In the book, Cruise lives in the same apartment complex as Bateman. The two of them cross paths in a lift (aka. elevator) and Batemen gets the name of the film Cocktail wrong, calling it “Bartender”.
Review: Fair Play
Star rating:
3.5 (out of 5)
Where to watch:
USA: Netflix
UK: Netflix
Runtime:
1hr 53m
Director:
Chloe Domont
Blurb:
An unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a young couple's relationship to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement.
The review (MINOR spoilers):
‘Ello folks, Mia here. You might remember me from my reviews of Rye Lane and Men. I’m back because Big T is a busy bee and I have a lot of thoughts on this one…
If you’re curious about Netflix’s latest erotic thriller, let me paint the picture a little more clearly: this is not a saucy story… We do get plenty of tension, though little of it is as exciting as I expected. Also, be sure to pay attention to the trigger warnings before watching this one.
The film starts almost playfully as our protagonists Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) appear to be thriving as smitten kittens with ambitions of becoming fat cats. They’re frolicking in bathrooms and sharing showers while drinking champagne. It’s not long, however, before trouble finds its way into paradise. The following morning, they wake up together but take separate routes to the office where they work and pretend to be nothing more than colleagues.
Secrecy aside, a shift in their working dynamic shakes the foundation of their relationship. Luke starts chipping away at Emily, making her second-guess everything from her relationship with their boss (played by Eddie Marsan) to her corporate wardrobe. Ehrenreich delivers a convincing performance as Luke, an insecure, fragile character more focused on catching up to his partner than on celebrating her success.
While I’d say we are rooting for Emily, Dynevor isn’t always convincing in her role. Maybe it’s because much of the language used in the corporate scenes (aka. Wall Street jargon) is alien to me, but it felt forced — and reminds us that she’s reciting lines. Despite this, her growing unease and the palpable anxiety, fear, rage, and even resentment that permeate, ring true. It’s wince-worthy stuff.
If you liked Shiva Baby (featured in SP#13) or Black Swan, you might like this, but I was hoping for something a little more ‘Shiv and Tom’. I also tend to rate films based on how much they haunt me, but the brief glimpse we get of this world is fleeting and fairly forgettable. Fair Play has a very strong premise that stumbles slightly in its execution.
Scroll down to see what’s in the next issue.
If you liked Fair Play…
Malcolm & Marie
2021 | UK: Netflix // USA: Netflix
A filmmaker (John David Washington) on the brink of Hollywood glory and his girlfriend (Zendaya), whose story made his career, find themselves pushed towards a reckoning as a single tumultuous night decides the fate of their relationship.
In the next issue:
Killers of the Flower Moon
UK: 20 October // USA: 20 October | Watch the Trailer
Awesome trailers! And great stuff, Mia! Say hi to Tom!