Blu-ray Review: For a Good Time, Call...

In For a Good Time, Call… a couple of ordinary girls start a phone sex line so they can make a little extra cash. It’s an amusing premise that doesn’t end up going as far as it could have. Guys may find the sex talk a little tame, and girls might find the leading ladies more annoying than likeable. Stars Ari Graynor and Lauren Miller give the roles their all, but the story lacks narrative drive. The film benefits from some cool surprise cameos, and an amusing performance from Justin Long as the girls’ best friend, but the film stalls in the story department. For much of the film it feels as though nothing really happens. It’s as if they felt a couple of girls talking dirty on the phone was enough to sustain the film.

Lauren (Miller) is down on her luck. Her boyfriend of two years, Charlie (James Wolk), dumps her because he thinks she's boring. Then she is let go from her job. Not only has Charlie broken up with her, he has kicked her out of the apartment they shared, leaving her homeless. Lauren’s friend Jesse (Long) has a solution for her. She can move in with Katie (Graynor), who is also suffering a financial setback. Katie lives in her recently deceased grandmother’s Gramercy Park apartment, and the landlord is raising the rent. It’s a perfect plan, except for the fact that Lauren and Katie can’t stand each other. It seems 10 years before, the girls had a bad run-in at a frat party and have avoided each other ever since, despite their mutual friendship with Jesse.

It turns out phone sex is the bonding element the girls needed to mend their relationship. When Lauren discovers Katie is only making one dollar each minute as a phone sex operator, she suggests more money could be made if they just got their own line. The more demure Lauren doesn’t want to do the talking, but she agrees to run the business affairs while the more outgoing Katie handles the calls. It’s a good plan, though it seems a little outdated in today’s online world. Nonetheless, the calls roll in. From there we get many montages of the girls receiving calls and running their growing business. Things run amok briefly when they attempt to hire another operator who doesn’t quite work out. It was an unfortunately underdeveloped plot line that ultimately didn’t really add anything to the film, though it could have if it had been explored a little more.

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Article Author: Sherry Lipp

Sherry writes mostly music and DVD reviews, and on occasion she gets to do an interview. She plays the guitar, loves to read, watch movies, and write. Sherry also is a gluten free food blogger, and enjoys coming up with grain and sugar free recipes.

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