Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich deliver magnificent performances in a well-written, tenser-by-the-minute, erotic corporate thriller currently streaming on Netflix. It deals with the themes of bureaucracy, gender & power dynamics, set within the glassy walls of a Wall Street hedge fund. Chloe Domont, I'm guessing in her feature film debut, sheds light on the sexy shenanigans between the characters of Emily (Phoebe) and Luke (Alden), a couple who are decidedly dating at the workplace (even if it's said to be a strict no-no). We, as audiences, enter their lives at a seemingly interesting point. In the beginning, they're shown to enjoy a bathroom quickie when she gets her period. They both deal with it respectfully and gleefully, like most modern-day "progressive" couples. Now, to contrast this with the almost rapey sex scene that takes place during the climax - what a piece of writing brilliance that is!
How things get "progressively" (pun intended) worse for the couple when Emily gets a promotion at the firm, instead of Luke (who was anticipating it), is enacted in the most tension-filled, mostly edge-of-the-seat manner in the second act. This particular section of the film is absolutely fantastic - be it the performances, score (Brian McOmber), or cuts. The inflated male ego and its subsequent insecurities drive things to a point of no return. Even when I envisaged certain things to go a certain way, some plot points took a more intense route than expected. There were a few moments where Luke acted somewhat out of character, especially given what we see of him in the beginning. But in the larger scheme of things, the screenplay mostly gets it right.
While Luke becomes increasingly easy to hate as the plot plods along, Emily also exhibits shades of grey. I appreciate the writer-director's instincts in not trying to paint a one-sided picture here. Not to mention the non-stop sexual urges - the chemistry was blazing when it needed to be! The film gets into a psychological thriller zone right in the middle, and thereafter, it's a riveting ride all through. While I give the script some extra points for portraying the world of Wall Street as cut-throat and unforgiving, I like to think it was by, all means, stretched to its possible cinematic limits. So, is investment management such a toxic industry that you literally have no life outside work? Hey, at least the cheques have many zeroes in them.
Okay, all said and done, Fair Play has a fairly satisfying conclusion too. It's a punchline, no doubt, and a good one to round off this particular story. But, it sure as hell doesn't end there (..does it?)
