The Good Girl (2002)
8/10
Better than I was expecting but I wouldn't label it a comedy
22 July 2015
Well this ended up being better than I was expecting as it wasn't the usual Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy (which all tend to blend together). Aniston is still another version of Rachael Green just more bored and depressed here. She does put on a great southern accent though, and outdoes herself in the wardrobe department, donning ugly sweaters and unflattering mom jeans throughout.

The movie is plugged as a comedy but honestly its fairly depressing, just kinda miserable and cheerless throughout following 'Justine' a frustrated 30 year old wife and grocery store cashier who is bored, depressed, stuck in a dead end job and married to a stoner (John C. Reilly). Her life changes when she begins an affair with a co-worker, (Jake Gyllenhaal). The story didn't at all go where I was expecting it to, entering some very dark areas.

Gyllenhaal does a great job here, he is young, intense and crazy. I also enjoyed John C. Reilly, as the husband, he's always the "nice guy" and is here too. Zooey Deschanel's character was very funny and probably the only ray of light in this. Lots of decent acting from sub characters though including John Carroll Lynch as the manager of the Retail Rodeo grocery store -which is where much of this movie takes place, the boredom and mundaneness was well represented there.

A bit of a surprise hit for me. 7/5/15
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