For a Good Time, Call… (2012)

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Two polar opposites, Lauren (Lauren Miller) and Katie (Ari Graynor), both need a place to live and are set-up by their mutual gay best friend (Justin Long). They hate it together since they know they will never get along, that is until one finds out the other has a phone sex chat-line and then, the friendship and sexy times begin.

Going into this one, I wasn’t really expecting much. It’s a high-concept comedy that seems like it came straight from the 90’s, and also just seemed like another excuse for a bunch of gals to have their own comedy where they say and do dirty things that people would least expect them to be doing and talking about. Actually, that sounds a lot like Bridesmaids and I think that’s about as good as this one is, if not a bit better.

Considering this is an R-rated raunch fest, I was very surprised and happy to see that this film had a lot of it’s raunch actually be funny without ever showing anything. Obviously, since this is a phone-sex comedy, a lot of the sexual stuff is done by talking and wording it out, which is makes it all the more dirty but also makes it a lot funnier than say a film like The Hangover: Part II, where everything has to be shown and thrown in your face to get a laugh at. It’s raunchy, it’s dirty, and it’s baldy, but it’s never showy and I think that’s what I liked so much about this film and it’s humor. Makes me wish more R-rated comedies took this same path but I guess the general public likes seeing dicks, penises, and boobs flying all-over-the-place just for a quick and memorable laugh. Whatever works for them, I guess.

But at the heart of this film is the relationship between these two leads that, predictably, gets stronger and stronger over time until they become the definition of “BFF’s”. This may sound a little soft and fruity coming from me but I enjoyed this whole aspect as it gave me more to hold onto with these characters and made me realize that maybe two polar opposites could come together like this in a way that may be calculated, but also feels real by how much time we spend watching them together. Trust me, it doesn’t go in the directions some of your perverted minds may be thinking but where it does go, may leave you feeling surprised by the type of heart that’s invested in these characters and their script. Nice little reminder that anybody can be your best friend, just gotta give them a chance and be open.

The element about this film that almost kills it is the final-twist in the end that almost seems to come out of nowhere and is a bit unbelievable. I can’t give too much away but there’s this whole realization where one character admits she’s been a lie about something her whole life, and decides to come out about it now which may seem a bit believable when you spend all this time with a certain character, but the thing that person comes out about doesn’t really make much sense either. Maybe to some people, it does, but to me, it didn’t and just seems like a cheap way to get these characters even closer and give them more conflict in a way as well.

The real charm behind this film, lies within it’s lovely cast that seem like they are all on the same exact page with this one, raunch-fest. I’ve never seen Lauren Anne Miller before, but she’s pretty okay as the straight-lady, wisely named Lauren. My problem with her wasn’t that she was bad or anything, it was just that her character seemed so damn stale and tense the whole movie and whereas other characters were bringing out their hearts and souls for these roles, she seemed like the one who wasn’t. She probably didn’t feel the need to, since she did co-write the script and all but when it comes right down to it, she’s better as side-character, rather than the main one. The same cannot be said for her co-star.

Ari Graynor is a chick, I bet, that you have seen 100 times but you just haven’t known it yet. She’s been on the side in lame-o rom-com’s like Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Whip It, and What’s Your Number?, but finally takes full advantage that she’s in a leading role and makes us realize that this chick should have had a butt-load more in her young career. Graynor is brass, loud, and dirty but she’s always funny and her character is the real reason why this film keeps itself alive the whole time. I don’t want to say everything she says is downright hilarious, but it’s the combination of her lines and delivery that made every piece of dialogue that came out of her mouth work and make me laugh my ass off. It’s a shame that this gal hasn’t been in more stuff, but hopefully this will really get her name out there on the map and get more people to realize that maybe this is the next leading lady in rom-coms, and not Katherine Heigl, or Anna Farris, or anybody else, really.

Since the whole film is strictly about two gals being all dirty and funny, it was a surprise to see a bunch of guys get some nice screen-time as well and add more to the whole funny atmosphere this flick already built up. Appearing as the gay best friend, Justin Long also gives a hilariously over-the-top performance and steals just about every scene he’s in, but, he’s not the only guy who shows up and makes us laugh. There are plenty more in this flick that I do not want to give away as I can promise you that once you see them, you will be laughing your simple ass off at big-time as I did myself.

Consensus: Ending very predictably and obvious, For a Good Time, Call… may not be the game-changer for the comedy genre it needs, but it still offers a bunch of raunchy laughs, good heart to characters that needed them, and a nice look at some real talent that stands behind this cast, especially Graynor who I hope to see more of in the future.

7.5/10=Rental!!