Comedy is a fine art and rarely does a new comedy duo come around and make you stand up and take notice and in case you were wondering, "For A Good Time, Call..."
Starring Ari Graynor, Lauren Ann Miller and Justin Long
Directed by Jamie Travis
In “For A Good Time, Call…” we meet the reserved Lauren (Miller) and the irrepressible Katie (Graynor) who couldn’t be more polar opposites and not to mention past enemies. But when both come up short on the funds needed to afford their dream New York City apartment a mutual friend (Long) re-introduces them and they reluctantly agree to room together. These apartment-mates have nothing in common; until Lauren discovers that Katie is working as a phone-sex operator, and with Lauren out of a job she recognizes a good business opportunity when she sees one. However as their business partnership takes off, their newfound friendship finds unexpected challenges that may leave them both on hold with no one on the other end of the line.
Make no mistake, “For A Good Time, Call…” isn’t mining any real new territory that hasn’t already been tackled on the small screen by the likes of “New Girl” or “Girls”, but it is exceptionally well executed comedy with some witty zingers and intelligent observation. Co-written by co-star Lauren Miller this film never feels like your standard stock comedy offerings as it is an incredibly focused film succeeding in its goal of being a tale of finding love and friendship in the most unlikely of places. With a wealth of experience in short filmmaking, Toronto’s own Jamie Travis stepped behind the lens in his feature debut with a self assured confidence as everything moves along at an incredibly brisk pace almost unfolding like a 2 part sitcom episode, nothing earth shattering but very solid storytelling. This could have easily been a film that descended into banality without the stellar chemistry between the two leads; Ari Graynor and Lauren Miller.
Graynor and Miller played off of each other so incredibly well that it looked truly effortless, trading one liners and jokes as they moved from set up to set up and were so incredibly charming together in what was essentially a zippy piece of fluff that I want to see them together in even more projects, as these two ladies could very well be the female comic duo of the 21st century, they were that good. Justin Long got to steal a few moments as their mutual gay best friend, and some of the cameos of the men calling the phone sex line were simply inspired. Some funny performances all around, ultimately anchored by the fantastic comedic timing of Graynor and Miller.
Special features on the DVD include Deleted Scenes, A Look Inside "For a Good Time, Call..." and a feature length commentary track.
When it comes right down to it, “For A Good Time, Call…” is a formulaic comedy, but it is one of the better formulaic comedies that this critic has seen in recent memory.
4 out of 5 stars.
"For A Good Time, Call..." is now available for rent at video stores all across the country, you can also find for purchase at all major retailers like iTunes, amazon.ca and HMV.
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