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For a Good Time Call movie review: Phone frenemies

Forget shopping and cocktails; bonding over phone sex is the hot new gal-pal activity, at least according to this funny, girl-centric indie that takes the term “frenemies” to a whole new level.

For a Good Time Call

Meet Lauren (Lauren Anne Miller). She’s a bit uptight and controlling and is more annoyed than heartbroken when her live-in boyfriend dumps her. Needing a place to live in expensive Manhattan, her gay best friend from college, Jesse (Justin Long), has a great solution to her problem. But Jesse warns Lauren she’ll need to be open-minded.

That’s because Jesse wants Lauren to room with his other best friend from college, Katie (Ari Graynor). It turns out Lauren knew Katie in college as the party-girl slut who used Lauren’s car as a bathroom. The duo are clearly not a match made in heaven.

But Katie has a fabulously large apartment that she inherited from her grandmother, and now that it’s no longer rent controlled, she’s desperate for a roommate. Can the ladies let go of Katie’s potty past and start anew?

Prudish Lauren is surprised to find out that Katie makes her meager living as a phone-sex operator. While she’s impressed by Katie’s resourcefulness, her business acumen could use some work. And that’s when the girls finally bond.

Lauren and Katie go into business together, creating their very own phone-sex company. Lauren manages the money and Katie manages the men. There are some super-cute cameos from Seth Rogan and Kevin Smith as clients.

The raunchy dirty talk makes for some great laughs, but what’s most fun about this comedy isn’t the lusty chat, it’s the friendly good times the girls have together. They are silly, girly and vulnerable with each other in ways only best friends can be. Katie even reveals that despite her sexy reputation, she’s actually a virgin. But closeness often turns to clinginess, and it seems both ladies have a lot of growing up to do.

Bottom line: This is a fun indie comedy that showcases great new talent, including a terrific screenplay by star Lauren Miller and Katie Anne Naylon. Remember those names. You’ll no doubt be hearing them again. Enjoy!

Photo credit: Focus Features




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