We live in a world where nothing is perfect, not even romantic relationships where everything can seem easy and smooth until the cracks begin to appear. One thing that can turn relationships sour is ambition and this is well portrayed in Fair Play (2023), a directorial debut of Chloe Domont.
I watched this movie expecting a relationship thriller with a financial world theme but what I got was something far more uncomfortable that digs into the depth of human desires and begs the question: what happens when the balance of power between a happy couple changes? The situation becomes ugly, tense and at times difficult to watch.
Written and directed by Chloe Domont, Fair Play stars Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan and other supporting actors. It follows Emily and Luke, young financial analysts working at the same ruthless hedge fund in New York. They are also secretly dating because their relationship violates the company policy.
At the beginning, they seem deeply in love. They are playful, passionate and comfortable with each other. Luke proposes, Emily accepts and their future seems bright and happy until Emily gets an unexpected promotion. Things turn sour because Luke had expected the promotion to go to him and now, his fiancée is professionally superior to him.
He congratulates Emily at first and celebrates with her but the change in this work status slowly begins to expose unpleasant things in their relationship. What starts as a disappointment slowly turns into resentment, insecurity and a struggle for control. Will their relationship survive this unexpected shift?
My Review And Rating
I love that the plot of this movie is relatable even though very few films touch on the subject of power dynamics in a relationship, and even better romantic relationships. With the changing roles in our modern society, Chloe Domont evenly paces this movie, slowly builds the conflict and tension, and gives her audience a satisfying climax.
The storytelling is seamless without any ambiguity. The target is Emily and Luke's relationship at home and work so the film moves between their apartment and workplace, showing how difficult it becomes to keep professional ambition from poisoning their private lives. What I find interesting is that the promotion isn't the problem but what it reveals. Luke isn't prepared for a world where Emily succeeds ahead of him. He struggles as his pride gets in the way. Her success becomes evidence of his own failure in his mind which inevitably troubles their relationship.
Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich play the parts of Emily and Luke impressively. They embody their roles so well that it feels real. Luke leans into the society's idea of being “the man” in the relationship and as such is entitled to the promotion and overall success. So, how dare Emily earn more power than him at the same workplace?
On the other hand, I fault the way Emily handles the situation. She is ambitious and wants to succeed but she spends a lot of energy trying to manage Luke's feeling about her success. She wants to have the career she has worked for while also protecting his ego. That's an impossible situation to be in and it was exhausting to watch.
Phoebe Dynevor is excellent in her role. I know her mainly from Bridgerton series so seeing her in something this dark was a pleasant surprise. I like that she uses small changes in her expression and body language to show Emily becoming frustrated and frightened. The scene toward the end where she owns her choice got an applause from me.
Alden Ehrenreich is equally good as Luke. He makes the character's transformation uncomfortable because you see how insecurity, entitlement and wounded pride gradually take control of him.
The themes of relationship dynamics and workplace sexism are well portrayed in this movie, issues professional people can relate to. I like that this film doesn't turn Emily into some perfect heroine. She has her flaws such that I want to yell at my screen and tell her to fix herself. What starts as a beautiful relationship quickly devolves into an uncomfortable situation. There are a few violent scenes with blood which may not go down well for some viewers. But Chloe Domont handled the visuals splendidly and delivered a fascinating yet aggravating relationship thriller.
Rating this movie, I'd give it 8 out of 10 stars. Fair Play is a compelling thriller that gets under your skin because the conflict isn't about promotion. It's about ego, insecurity, gender expectations and ambition and whether love can survive them.
All images above are screenshots from the movie
Thank you for visiting and supporting my blog 🤗
Rating: 80/100