Fair Play

"Emily" (Phoebe Dynevor) and fiancé "Luke" (Alden Ehrenreich) are a typically happy, professional, couple, recently engage and well loved up. Gossip is going around the office that "Luke" is destined for a promotion that will mean loads more cash for the pair and she seems delighted for him. Well, boss "Campbell" (Eddie Marsan) has other plans as he decides to give the job to her! Is he delighted? Well outwardly yes, but inwardly...? She is also uncertain. Not of her ability to do her new job, but of how to avoid bruising his increasingly obviously delicate ego. What now ensues is a rather fat-fetched eggshell dance that sees their relationship put under enormous pressure? Can it survive? Well, frankly I didn't care. The whole story seems contrived to create as much tension and distrust amongst the couple who at one stage are about to be married and at the next, well they might not cross the road to chat with each other. It takes a swipe at the greasy pole and at the whole corporate "getting-on" ethos, but in such a linear and unimaginative fashion. Way too many stereotypical attitudes and platitudes and by the end I was really quite uninterested in who got what, if anything, from this rather pedestrian and over-scripted melodrama. Sorry, perhaps I just wasn't in the mood - but this did nothing for me.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-chloe-domonts-fair-play-poignantly-tackles-gender-politics/ "Fair Play is an emotionally charged exploration of love, ambition, and gender dynamics. Chloe Domont thoughtfully addresses these themes, highlighting biases faced by successful women, the personal challenges of couples working in the same space, and the inevitable vulnerabilities that arise from these scenarios. The dedicated performances from Phoebe Dyvenor and Alden Ehrenreich make it a gripping viewing experience, emphasizing the film's thought-provoking messages about gender politics and seeking equal recognition based on merit rather than gender. The dramatic conclusion warrants heated debate…" Rating: A-