The Good Girl
Director Miguel Arteta's previous film
was 'Chuck and Buck', a psychosexual tragicomedy about a strange man who
wants nothing in his life or relationships to undergo change. His new
film, 'The Good Girl', veers off in the opposite direction, portraying
a woman whose disappointment and discontent make her leap at the first
opportunity for change.
Long-time employee of the local Retail Rodeo, and married
since the age of twenty three, at thirty Justine Last has settled into
a predictable routine of daytime drudgery and evening television. Then
an ill wind blows young checkout assistant 'Holden' Worther into Justine's
life, and soon she is forced to choose between what she has and the possibility
of escape.
As Justine, Jennifer Aniston does her best to escape
her own past, cultivating a Texan drawl and washed-out look to take her
as far from her familiar 'Friends' persona as possible. Jake Gyllenhaal's
role as J.D. Salinger fanatic 'Holden' is, on the other hand, an exact
composite of his two previous parts: he has an affair with an older colleague,
as in 'Lovely and Amazing'; and he is a disturbed young man caught in
a diabolical tragedy, as in 'Donnie Darko'. Finally John C. Reilly, who
has recently made something of a career out of playing clueless husbands
('Chicago', 'The Hours'), lends real pathos to Justine's husband Phil,
making him both annoying and sympathetic at the same time.
But really it is the smaller roles which make this
film so memorable: screenwriter Mike White (who also played Chuck in 'Chuck
and Buck') captures just the right note of self-righteousness as bible-toting
security guard Corny; Tim Blake Nelson is genuinely unhinged as Phil's
dim, covetous best friend Bubba; and Zooey Deschanel shines as Justine's
rebellious co-worker Cheryl, who gets demoted to cosmetics for getting
'a little creative on the PA', only to end up performing 'cirque du face'
on her hapless clients.
This tale of the seven sins, the seven year itch and
the temptations of forbidden fruit brims with the absurdities of deadend
jobs and smalltown life. Yet for all the humour, the different characters'
dissatisfactions and dashed dreams leave a bitter taste that you will
savour for some time after.
A comedy that is as dark and delicious as roadside
blackberries.
Anton Bitel, 04.02.03
|