Fair Play
⭐️ ⭐️ (out of 5)
In this post-#Metoo era, there must be an aversion to companies allowing workplace relationships. Yet, some ride the ship into these dangerous waters despite company policies forbidding these romances. Fair Play taps into the pitfalls of these liaisons and how they can make things difficult at work and home.
Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) and Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) are analysts at one of the top hedge funds and have been secretly hiding their ongoing relationship for quite some time. Yet, after Luke gets wind of his potential promotion to department head, he proposes to his live-in girlfriend and co-worker. This leads to tensions since they need to keep the affair a secret within the company. Especially when Emily gets the promotion as opposed to her fiance, they must both come to terms with the tensions this causes between them. As pressures increase at the office, their love for one another begins to crack as the weight of these tensions mount.
Alden Ehrenreich’s career has had its extreme highs and lows. Still, I have been a fan since The Coen Brothers Hail, Caesar! and seem to be one of the only supporters of his take on Han Solo. To see him in Oppenheimer gave me hope that he has continued to reinvent himself and grow as an actor. Yet, being a convincing leading man may still be a bit of a struggle for the young actor. Fair Play is built on a compelling premise, but the film's weakest element is the lack of appeal of the lead characters. To know what the problem was with them was a mystery; was it the writing or the performances? Regardless of the answer, Ehrenreich and Dynevor never were convincing enough as a couple or individuals who would make it in the cut-throat atmosphere of hedge funds.
The tone and atmosphere of the office setting were set up well by first-time director Chloe Domont. The performances of veteran character actors, Eddie Marsan (Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) and Rich Sommer (BlackBerry) brought life to this finance cesspool. Yet, the screenplay moved so fast towards the demise of the central character’s relationship that it was challenging to develop an affinity towards either person. Also, anyone who has worked close to this industry would know that these two would not have made it very far in the industry regardless of their policy-breaking decisions. Fair Play exposes the vicious atmosphere of this world of business and proves how lust cannot replace true love as a means of building a longstanding connection between two people. Still, this film fails to bring the audience along on the journey and convince us that this pair should have been together in the first place.
Reel Dialogue: Foolishness or wisdom?
Foolishness is defined as a person who lacks judgement or sense. It is not a trait left to the simple-minded or those who are less educated. It is a term placed on all of us who do not listen to reason, common sense, or wisdom from those who have gone before us. This film proves that the foolish path is not relegated to uneducated people. Yet, the challenge is to know where to find wisdom.
The Bible has much to say about fools and how to stay off the path of a foolish person. Most of these passages provide the understanding of a life standard set above all other considerations. The beginning of Proverbs says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Which means the path that leads away from foolishness begins with God. Have you considered this wise path for yourself?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Proverbs 1:7
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