It’s Not All Fair Play in Love and War
What happens when a woman is suddenly in higher power than the man she’s in a relationship with? Fair Play explores the tensions that arise when a man’s fragile ego is bruised.
When a high profile promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund arises, a once supportive couple, Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), find their relationship strained. As the power dynamic begins to shift in the relationship, tensions grow as the couple must face the price of success in their intertwined careers. Will Emily and Luke’s relationship surpass their career ambitions, or will their goals get the best of them?
The movie depicts a once loving relationship that soon turns sinister and has viewers holding their breath to see what will happen next. When your biggest cheerleader turns into your competition, how will your ego react? The film tackles that uncomfortable collision and the shift in power dynamics from a traditional heterosexual relationship to one where the woman holds more power. The psychological thriller aspect keeps you on your toes the entire film waiting to see if either partner will take things a step too far.
The movie is a large departure from Phoebe Dynevor’s breakthrough role in Bridgerton, but she delivers a compelling and captivating performance. As an ambitious woman in a male dominated field, her character faces sexism and patriarchy with grace and patience until she is pushed to the limit. The way in which she depicts such strong emotions through a suppressed exterior is something many women can relate to heavily. However, Dynevor does use an American accent that does slip up a few times in scenes of passion and anger that take you out of the scene a bit.
Alden Ehrenreich delivers an unnerving performance that fully captures the unpredictability of a man spiraling downward. He lets this emotion get the best of him and his reaction creates a lot of tension between the two that leads to a horrifying climax of who will come out on top.
Writer and director Chloe Domont perfectly encapsulates how it feels to be a woman with ambitions and a partner who doesn’t quite have that same drive and determination but expects to hit the same levels. She brings to life a fear that many women have in their relationships and that is how their partner will react to them being more successful. In a world where men are raised to believe that they should be the head of households and moneymakers, this shift in power is uncomfortable and confusing for Luke, ultimately turning him into a monster. In a patriarchal society, how a man reacts to being second in power tells you everything you need to know about him.
Fair Play is streaming out in select theaters on September 29 and streaming on Netflix on October 6.
