“I don’t shit where I eat,” Emily, the protagonist of the 2023 movie “Fair Play,” tells a colleague when he casually encourages her to have an affair with her analyst, Luke. The thing is, Emily is already in a secret relationship with Luke because company policy forbids office romances. However, due to a recent promotion at her competitive hedge fund firm, their bond is severely tested.
Directed and written by Chloe Domont, “Fair Play” begins with a passionate scene of Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) at a party, and the two end up getting engaged in a restroom. The two appear to be deeply in love with each other, but a few days later, Emily gets promoted to a position that Luke had his eyes on, leading to a lot of bad blood between them. Men feeling threatened if their partners are more successful than them? Not a new story. Yet, it’s not the kind of tale we often see in movies.
While “Fair Play” is set in New York, the film was shot in Belgrade, Serbia, so the cinematography appears slightly duller than the typical NY skyline and lively streets. However, the creators deliberately decided to lend the scenes a despondent tone to align with its dark theme: the escalating collapse of a once-loving relationship. Despite sharing an apartment, the protagonists also go to work separately to avoid raising suspicions, and those morning scenes of them heading to the office looked like they were shot before sunrise. That’s how gloomy the skies are throughout the 1 hour 53-minute runtime. However, the hedge fund office offers a good change-up, with men and women in suits, all fervently working through numbers.
The chemistry between Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich as Emily and Luke is electric from the start, but as the plot progresses, the pace of their fallout gets exceedingly unrealistic given their initial dynamics. As Luke rapidly unravels due to his resentment over Emily’s promotion, you get the sense that either he has a serious mental health disorder, either that or he is an extremely shrewd manipulator that the Harvard-educated, super-smart Emily couldn’t read right. Either way, the plot discredits Emily’s intelligence, even though she is supposed to be a brilliant finance analyst. It’s also strange how Emily isn’t aware of Luke capabilities at work, despite office gossip clearly being quite rampant and becomes victim to his emotional cruelty and gaslighting. But well, ‘love’ can really cloud one’s brain.
If it weren’t for the far-fetched deterioration of the lead couple’s relationship, “Fair Play” offers a fascinating glimpse into just how the slightest shift in power can really change the balance in a relationship. Especially when it’s the woman who is more financially successful. It also explores the vapid sexist perception that if a woman climbs up the corporate ladder faster than her peers, she is probably sleeping with the boss. The last time I saw this theme tactfully explored was in the 2023 Netflix series “Scoop”, about a top woman journalist who’s incarcerated for being too good at her job. Director Chloe Domont also offers a fair portrayal of how women are easily discredited by their male counterparts. However, in a world full of Lukes, there are also bosses like Campbell (Eddie Marsan), who may be ruthless but recognize and value talent regardless of gender.
Phoebe Dynevor delivers a rousing performance as the conscientious Emily, who had everything going in her favor until her boyfriend/fiancé suddenly decided to pull a Jekyll and Hyde on her. I think I screamed at the screen a bunch of times, saying “dump him, just dump him”, even though it’s easier said than done. Alden Ehrenreich as the insecure Luke is interesting, but many other actors could have portrayed the role more effectively. Alden isn’t able to make Luke as despicable as the character truly is, even though he does handle a challenging emotional breakdown scene towards the end with great intensity. The climax neatly ties up everything after a roller-coaster ride of emotions, so depending on the viewer, it might feel either underwhelming or just the right way to provide closure to viewers.
Rating: 6 on 10
If you are looking for a tense romantic drama, stream “Fair Play” on Netflix.
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