Written by: Chloe Domont
Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan, Rich Sommer
Rating: [4/5]
Not allowing romantic relationships within the workplace at times gets painted in this brush of restriction where individuals cannot freely express themselves. Colleagues at times spend more time with each other than they do their respective family members and when mixing it with the general common interest shared in valuing work, it makes it not as surprising to see when these relationships sprout. However, Fair Play makes quite the case as to why it should not occur, as it delves deeply into the power dynamics involved and how it can twist these characters into compromising positions.
Both working as analysts at a hedge fund, Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are secretly engaged even with there being a strict rule against in-office dating. In this ultra-competitive environment, Emily stands in full support of Luke landing a potential promotion into a portfolio manager, but unbeknownst to both of them, Emily receives the offer, which begins to cause a strain in their relationship.
Touted as this erotic thriller somewhat to its detriment, Fair Play operates much more like a workplace drama that contains some sexually explicit scenes. Much of the film’s focus stays within the power dynamics within this hedge fund when doing so, it allows for a fascinating look not only when lovers become competitors but, particularly the gender roles at play. Yes, the sex scenes transpire, which certainly informs plenty about these characters, but it does not summarize the true intention of what Chloe Domont seeks to convey through this incredibly effective debut feature film.
Fair Play allows for so much to talk about, especially when it comes to operating within a hedge fund, where taking crazy risks and utilizing highly leveraged moves is the name of the game. Reaching the level of a portfolio manager and providing outsized value to the investors brings the opportunity for an incredible amount of compensation, as seen when Emily makes a good pick and receives a check for it. It pays quite well, but it’s a tough environment and one typically seen as one dominated by men, which makes Emily moving ahead of Luke not only surprising, but in a sense demonizing the guy in this scenario. The film expertly displays the sexism of this workplace without it being necessarily explicit. It always sits right at the surface and laces the tongue of nearly every man at the firm. However, things get all the more fascinating not how the other men react to Emily getting this incredible opportunity, but particularly how it impacts her fiancé, Luke.
The change in demeanor from Luke after her promotion says plenty about how the combination of the workplace culture and the layer of misogyny sitting within him begins to show out when he gets surpassed by a woman. This development invites plenty of praise for Alden Ehrenreich, who absolutely knocks it out of the park in their troubling portrayal. Instead of this jovial man happy to see the woman he loves most in the world succeed warps into someone who feels wronged and if he has failed somehow because she received a promotion he did not. It certainly does not help when he then gets tasked to serve as an analyst for her, which would not look like an unhealthy pairing if they were not engaged. Except they are in secret, making the stress of their relationship flow into the workplace further ratcheting up the drama and the tension.
Chloe Domont handles this particular tension especially well that got my palms to sweat because of the implications if their relationship were to become public knowledge. As Emily tries to make the best of her new promotion, Luke progressively becomes much more unhinged and volatile, to the degree where he can no longer predict what he will do next and what blowback it will eventually have on Emily. Everything in the staging does their work environment and each character as a chess piece contributes to that, which Domont expertly pieces together. It makes every interaction and sentence spoken a threat and therefore allows the screenplay to shine.
A genuinely thrilling experience from top to bottom with a great two-hander of performances by Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor, Fair Play gets messy in every way from not only sexually, but also the relationship and workplace dynamics on display. It sheds a nasty light on how quickly a man who claims to respect women can shift when things do not go his way, making for some genuinely terrifying and uncomfortable moments. With all the mess, Chloe Domont maintains this ferocious control of the narrative that never lets us lose sight of the relationship at the center and the damage done by what their works means to them. Quite the PSA against workplace romantic relationships if I’ve ever seen one and it serves as a pulse-pounding and wickedly crafted feature film.
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