There could be no two opposites more polar than the uptight Lauren and outspoken Katie. Throw in a past scuffle involving a car and a cup of urine as well as a dire need to make financial ends meet, and you've got the perfect receipt for a unique, spontaneous, though somewhat tiring, female (or male guilty pleasure) comedy, in this case titled For a Good Time, Call.
The film, which sees two roommates open a phone sex line in their New York City apartment in an effort to keep a steady line of income, is full of sexual innuendoes and blatant grotesque slapstick humor. And since it is all coming from the two female leads, the situation works perfectly for the girls in the audience.
The biggest bright spot in the entire film revolves around both Ari Graynor and Lauren Anne Miller, both of whom deliver solid turns in their respective roles as they struggle with life in one of the biggest (and loneliest) cities in the world. Their onscreen chemistry (combined with that of Justin Long) help keep the story moving as the duo take their initial business idea and watch it mature right before their very eyes.
I will say that I found the premise to be a bit forced and predictable but really enjoyed that the story wasn't centered around both of our leading ladies finding love"”it was rather a story about finding themselves. The ending comes along just in time, as the steady flow of one liners begins to tire out during the third act, and the obstacles become a bit too cliché for the random male parked in the audience.
Overall, the film is a fresh take on an age old problem, and though For a Good Time, Call occasionally shows its indie colors, there is ultimately just enough fun and witty humor to push it past the finish line. It's a girls' movie that should qualify as a man's guilty pleasure"”if they are open enough to accept it.
