The Good Girl (C or 2/4 stars)
A bored, frustrated Justine (Jennifer Aniston) begins an illicit affair with a young co-worker, Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal)l who represents a chance for her to escape her mundane life & have a sexual re-awakening in 'The Good Girl', directed by Miguel Arteta. Life. For some folks, it can be a trying thing. Lots of people find comfort in 'routine'. We get up at the same time, eat the same things, call the same people, assuming that the next day (& on) will be much the same. And we like (sort of) that certainty. However, we all know deep inside that that means something isn't quite right, either; that there has to be other options/answers/escapes. In some moments of quiet despair, that need for escape becomes essential. And so is the story of 30 yr. old Justine.
Her daily routine has stunted her emotionally; even comparing herself to a prisoner on death row (yikes). She's sick of life's 'sameness'. She can't 'get going', nor can her family or friends. She has a job, she's got a hubby Phil (John C. Reilly), & she lives in a house, not a trailer or apartment. But her job is as a discount clerk at a Retail Rodeo (ugh). Her husband of 7 years is a lowly house painter who lies around like a slob; smoking pot with his disgusting best friend, Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson). And her house ain't no mansion. But just when things appear to be as dire as ever, Justine meets Holden, a 22 yr. old misanthrope who joins the Retail Rodeo staff as a stock boy. He's a loner, reads 'Catcher in the Rye' (taking his name from that novel), & looks like a lost puppy. Naturally, Justine gravitates towards him. And likewise, Holden starts to obsess over her. With time, they engage in the kind of hot, passionate affair that spells doom in the time to come.
You see, Justine comes to her senses - that striking a hot-blooded relationship with a 22 yr. old troubled guy isn't the way to escape, either. Her love for him is misplaced on the idea of freedom. And he is one messed-up dude. Unbalanced; making himself a danger to himself & others. 3 examples: firstly, he considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield (from 'Catch in the Rye'). Second, he says to Justine (as a romantic sentiment) - 'I want to knock your head open & see what's inside'. Lovely. And thirdly, late in the story, he gives an old lady parasitic fruit; which eventually kills her. Justine's relationship with Holden goes from good to bad to poisonous - & eventually deadly.
I didn't like 'The Good Girl' very much. That sounds like an odd critique. But that's honestly all that can come to my mind. The acting is fine. Aniston puts forth a good effort here as the lonely, trapped Justine; showing little of the 'Rachel' in her (from Friends). John C. Reilly always puts in a good performance ... too bad I couldn't stand his dullard of a character. Jake Gyllenhaal is suitably creepy as Holden; his intensity even scared me, a little. All the characters ably portray a sense of entrapment (of their lives). Some of the dialogue/writing is astute. It's a quirky tragicomedy (but not over-the-top). All that said ... I just didn't like the story. The characters grew more & more loathsome (to me) as the story progressed. And how Justine ends up in the end is infuriating to me.
Don't get me wrong, as I said, there's nothing really wrong with the movie. It is an effective portrait of life in a dead-end state. The tone is appropriately grim, in parts (including the ending). And it actually has some dark comedy in it, too. Zooey Deschanel is quite funny as Justine's co-worker, Cheryl. She's as sarcastic & profane as they come. And watching her vent her disdain & frustrations upon her oblivious customers is a highlight. But other than those isolated moments, I couldn't figure out why this film was made or what it was trying to say (how small, seemingly inconsequential things can snowball into large problems?). Questions go unanswered. I don't know. It's a cold film; droll, too. It made me depressed. The ending makes little sense. And it just didn't work for me.
Her daily routine has stunted her emotionally; even comparing herself to a prisoner on death row (yikes). She's sick of life's 'sameness'. She can't 'get going', nor can her family or friends. She has a job, she's got a hubby Phil (John C. Reilly), & she lives in a house, not a trailer or apartment. But her job is as a discount clerk at a Retail Rodeo (ugh). Her husband of 7 years is a lowly house painter who lies around like a slob; smoking pot with his disgusting best friend, Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson). And her house ain't no mansion. But just when things appear to be as dire as ever, Justine meets Holden, a 22 yr. old misanthrope who joins the Retail Rodeo staff as a stock boy. He's a loner, reads 'Catcher in the Rye' (taking his name from that novel), & looks like a lost puppy. Naturally, Justine gravitates towards him. And likewise, Holden starts to obsess over her. With time, they engage in the kind of hot, passionate affair that spells doom in the time to come.
You see, Justine comes to her senses - that striking a hot-blooded relationship with a 22 yr. old troubled guy isn't the way to escape, either. Her love for him is misplaced on the idea of freedom. And he is one messed-up dude. Unbalanced; making himself a danger to himself & others. 3 examples: firstly, he considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield (from 'Catch in the Rye'). Second, he says to Justine (as a romantic sentiment) - 'I want to knock your head open & see what's inside'. Lovely. And thirdly, late in the story, he gives an old lady parasitic fruit; which eventually kills her. Justine's relationship with Holden goes from good to bad to poisonous - & eventually deadly.
I didn't like 'The Good Girl' very much. That sounds like an odd critique. But that's honestly all that can come to my mind. The acting is fine. Aniston puts forth a good effort here as the lonely, trapped Justine; showing little of the 'Rachel' in her (from Friends). John C. Reilly always puts in a good performance ... too bad I couldn't stand his dullard of a character. Jake Gyllenhaal is suitably creepy as Holden; his intensity even scared me, a little. All the characters ably portray a sense of entrapment (of their lives). Some of the dialogue/writing is astute. It's a quirky tragicomedy (but not over-the-top). All that said ... I just didn't like the story. The characters grew more & more loathsome (to me) as the story progressed. And how Justine ends up in the end is infuriating to me.
Don't get me wrong, as I said, there's nothing really wrong with the movie. It is an effective portrait of life in a dead-end state. The tone is appropriately grim, in parts (including the ending). And it actually has some dark comedy in it, too. Zooey Deschanel is quite funny as Justine's co-worker, Cheryl. She's as sarcastic & profane as they come. And watching her vent her disdain & frustrations upon her oblivious customers is a highlight. But other than those isolated moments, I couldn't figure out why this film was made or what it was trying to say (how small, seemingly inconsequential things can snowball into large problems?). Questions go unanswered. I don't know. It's a cold film; droll, too. It made me depressed. The ending makes little sense. And it just didn't work for me.