Chloe Domont’s directorial debut, Fair Play, has been the talk of Sundance since its premiere a few days ago. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive and it was revealed that Netflix have scooped the project for $20 million. It is a very hefty price tag, but Fair Play is worth every penny.
Set in the cutthroat environment of finance, Fair Play dissects the relationship of a young couple, Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) and Emily (Phoebe Dynevor). Introduced in the throws of a wedding reception where they are guests, Luke and Emily are a couple smitten.Their passion for one another is unbridled and the pair exude honeymoon phase. After a passionate bloody encounter, the two become engaged.
The next day they get up, get ready, leave the house and go their separate ways, before reconnecting at their place of work. Here they act as practical strangers. This move is vital to their survival as the company has a very strict no-dating policy. It is not an ideal situation, but both of them are committed to their careers. Their way of life works for two years, then a promotion throws everything off-kilter. After a senior employee is fired, a position opens up, one which Emily overhears that they are going to offer to Luke. The pair prematurely celebrate, with Luke promising to help Emily make it too. However, Emily is the one promoted, and Luke does not take their new arrangement well.
Fair Play is a compelling analysis of gender power dynamics within a relationship. Domont’s sizzling script skewers fragile masculinity beautifully. Luke is an intense bundle of insecurity. Rather than supporting Emily’s promotion, he crumbles. Threatened by her new ‘power’, and his perceived emasculation, Luke becomes a jealous gaslighting child, who is determined to do anything to regain the upper hand again. Domont also addresses the female experience of working in a world of men. Upon her introduction, Emily is a strange-minded and determined woman who effortlessly bats off comments from the men around her. Once promoted, she finds herself an outlier in a boy’s club, and so goes to extremes to fit in. At the same time, Emily is trying to be supportive of Luke in spite of her behaviour. She’s a smart woman in a sea of toxic masculinity and the effect that that world has on her is representative of many women’s own experiences.
With such a complex duo of characters, strong actors are vital. In leads Ehrenreich and Dynevor, Domont has found an exceptional screen pairing. Each actor imbues their character with enough varieties of shades that neither gets painted into stereotypes. Even Luke, who behaves reprehensibly throughout, is afforded glimpses at a kinder side, though much of this is towards the beginning. Dynevor traverses an emotional juggernaut with poise, effortlessly switching between caring partner to stoic businesswoman. The true magic of Fair Play comes whenever the two share the screen. Their chemistry is electric and the air between them is charged with ever-changing energy. Initially infused with lust and sexual vitality, this energy becomes darker, turning from love to spite to hate. At each moment, Dynevor and Ehrenreich fully inhabit Emily and Luke, and watching them act against one another is seductively engrossing.
Domont proves her talent behind the camera as well as on the page. The luxury of the world that Luke and Emily live in is communicated through pristine architecture, designer decor, and couture work clothes. Everything on-screen screams corporate and excess. The lighting is kept low, helping produce that ‘romantic’ atmosphere whilst making Fair Play standout from other films set in the arena of finance. Domont proves herself a master at creating tension. The whole plot is driven by emotions and Domont keeps them all in check. She crafts a slow and particular pressure cooker environment. This tension ultimately explodes during the third act in confronting and unexpected ways.
Modern relationships between man, woman, and work are explored in this provocative and often uncomfortable thriller. Domont immediately asserts herself as a talent to watch, complemented perfectly by two storming lead performances. Fair Play is superbly constructed and Domont creates incredible tension of which not a drop is wasted, ensuring her debut will remain in the mind days later.
Fair Play
Summary
A riveting feature debut, Fair Play presents a relationship thriller for the modern era. Both Dynevor and Ehrenreich unleash scorching and intoxicating performances that will leave the viewer breathless.
Fair Play was reviewed at Sundance Film Festival 2023. Fair Play arrives in select UK cinemas on 6th October and will debut on Netflix on 13th October.
