An excellent psychological thriller that’s relatable to all who have suffered through the complexities of office dynamics and is an interesting conversation piece
Office romances are always challenging. Especially, when it’s against company policy. Fair Play is a cautionary tale showing how badly things can go when careers come in the way of a relationship. Chloe Domont wrote and directed this psychological thriller that’s relatable to everyone who has suffered through the complexities of office dynamics along with being an excellent conversation piece.
Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) get secretly engaged at his brother’s wedding party. They are in love and couldn’t be happier. The movie shifts its rhythm, however, the next day as they get ready to go to work. Turns out, they work at the same cutthroat Wall Street hedge fund as analysts. The music starts pumping the moment they step into the office. They’ve officially stepped into the modern-day world of Oliver Stone’s Wall Street. This is a mean place which will suck you dry before the clock hits 5 pm. A higher position has just opened up, rather dramatically, and our lovers are in the pool of candidates considered for the job.
Only one of them can get promoted and things get complicated in their relationship when Emily is chosen for the position. For the last five or six decades, men and women have been working together and finding their life partners in the workplace. But when they are both ambitious and gunning for the same promotion where only one can succeed, new aspects of a relationship can surely come to light.
Eddie Marsan plays Campbell, the CEO who decides who gets promoted at his firm and gives Emily the good news. In this scene, Domont and Marsan leave nothing to the imagination on his motivations for Emily’s promotion which are purely her intellect and her abilities to make a profit for the company. Campbell is a realist and a practical man. But, he is also innately sexist and a bully. In one explosive scene right after Emily makes a bad investment for the firm, the underrated Marsan shows the calibre he can bring to the table when given the opportunity. If and when Campbell goes overboard, Paul (Mad Men’s Rich Somner) is close to band-aid the situation.
To make matters worse, Luke is now reporting to Emily who is asking him to step up his game to get the next promotion which may be coming soon. By this point, their situation at work has completely taken over their personal lives and their relationship. The situation continues to escalate until the explosive and cathartic finale.
Domont has managed to derive excellent teamwork in her directorial debut. In the movie, the music brilliantly underscores the thrill of the proceedings. The juxtaposition of the dimly lit apartment versus the office subliminally makes us want more scenes to take place in the office. It underlines the shared narrative of Emily and Luke’s lives where they both want to succeed and move up the corporate ladder.
The movie works because Dynevor and Ehrenreich’s performances make the relationship look believable. The intimacy, care, jealousy, disappointment and disgust are all present in their acting. Dynevor’s character has to fit in the higher management’s boys club while facing casual sexism and she may have to prove herself more than others in her position. And she has to do this all while trying to figure out her fiance’s emotions. Dynevor has delivered a great performance showing depth in her skills that could propel her to stardom. Ehrenreich also has shown all the many shades of grey in his bold portrayal.
I recommend watching this movie (available on Netflix) for its tight screenplay, relatability and winning performances.