Lying Liars from Lieville. But No Judgement.
**Spoilers**
Lifelong BFFs, Toni and Bri, work together in an invitation and card shop. Bri is the wild fun loving madcap one-always up for a lark but kind of aimless. Toni graduated at the top of her class from “Haltword”, a top Ivy League law school wink wink, but had a panic attack while taking the bar so is not a lawyer. She is working at the shop while trying to figure out her path forward. She is the daughter of one of those lawyers who promote themselves with those nerve-jangling TV ads and paste their faces on billboards and buses. She loves her Dad very much but she has always been embarrassed by his brand of ambulance-chasing injury lawyering and the way he drums up business. It’s not that she doesn’t love the law, but is afraid ending up like her father. He, of course, wants her to partner with him, but she is reluctant because in sophisticated circles he is somewhat of a joke. So, in her mid-twenties, she is “taking a pause” and trying to figure it all out.
While delivering boxes of party invitations to a wealthy matron during another party she is throwing, Bri gets the the idea of pretending to be a guest for a laugh and drags Toni into the adventure against her better judgement. They both have a great time (Toni may have her feet on the ground but that doesn’t mean she is a stick in the mud). Toni meets Justin, an attractive guest and there is instant attraction between them. One thing leads to another, and the girls, taking advantage of their access to extra invitations, start going to all of the best parties in town while creating new exciting fake identities for themselves for each party. Like a Formula One Race Car Driver, Crash Test Dummy Manufacturer, and Olympic Skier. All harmless fun, you understand. In their adventures, Bri falls for a humble parking valet she keeps meeting, and Toni continues to run into Justin who is the corporate head of a corporation that acquires other corporations. Justin, played by the elegant Chris McNally, is just…Wow…in this movie. At one party she meets Latisha, one of Justin’s employees who was a fellow classmate of hers from “Haltword”. Latisha tells her boss what a great lawyer Toni is (based on what a great student she knew her to be). He invites her on a Christmas retreat as a consultant after she advises him not to get involved in buying a company that her Dad will soon be filing a class action suit against. Toni tries to refuse but is powerless in the face of Latisha who almost gives birth on the portico. Also Bri, the human dynamo, adds her two cents, and Toni is powerless to refuse.
So just harmless party crashing and fantasy identities has just turned serious. Toni can get into serious trouble with the bar association for practicing law without a license even though she is just consulting and will refuse to be paid. It will also harm Justin and his company’s credibility. As Justin and Toni continue to fall for each other, Toni learns that due to a troubled childhood with his father and a past romantic betrayal, Justin cannot tolerate liars. Always on the verge of confessing the truth to Justin but never quite finding the courage, she finds herself in an increasingly impossible situation.
Despite all of the deception and lying, this was still enjoyable. The script had some funny jokes; especially the pop-culture references sprinkled throughout. Lyndsy Fonseca, who played Toni, has established a good track record with me, and newcomer Daniella Monet as Bri was a lot of fun. Because of their acting I just made the decision not to be judgey about their characters’ behavior. Besides, a most beloved rom-com, While You Were Sleeping was based on Sandra Bullock’s big lie, and who ever had a problem with Sandra Bullock’s Lucy? Certainly not me.
As all of the fake identities start to catch up with the two friends, it results in some pretty good comedy as well as tension. Olympic Skier, Huh? And Doula? The romance between Vinny the valet and Bri was sweet. It turns out Bri is not the only one who can conjure up a fake identity. Bri finding the ideal career path at last was an engaging sub plot, and her backstory did a lot to justify her more questionable actions. I love the way Toni came to terms with her Dad’s ways. The best scene in the movie is when she hears some of the party goers make fun of him and his commercials and she stalks over and rips them a new one, revealing her true identity in the process. This was a breakthrough for her and the point where she finally starts finding her way forward careerwise. I also liked that Justin held Toni accountable for her lies when the truth finally came out. She was truly remorseful and apologetic, but he rightly had none of it, and they didn’t meet again for another year. She had passed the bar and had gone into partnership with her Dad, even starring in one of his crazy TV spots. I loved that. Good for her. When Justin sees her on TV, his heart melts and a happy ending is not far behind. Not that her saving him and his firm “two billion dollars” with her inside information played a factor in his forgiveness. Not at all.
