"Friends with Money," despite a good cast, failed to interest critics and audiences alike when it was released to theaters earlier this year, but the comedy is surprisingly funny and well-acted.

Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusack and Catherine Keener star as four friends living the good life - well, all but one of them. McDormand, Cusack and Keener's characters are rich and married (not all happily), while Aniston's works as a maid and is desperately single. She finds possible romance in the form of Scott Caan, but he just thinks she's hot because she's a maid, and asks for his share of her profits despite being wealthy already. McDormand, meanwhile, is married to a possibly gay man and just disgruntled with life, while Keener is on the verge of divorce with her husband. Cusack is the only one who seems to have found balance in her life.

First off, this cast of women is pretty impressive. I've actually been a fan of Aniston's theatrical offerings, but she is definitely the weakest of the actresses in the picture. McDormand, Cusack and Keener are all at the top of their games, especially McDormand who delivers yet another memorable performance. Aniston is good, but she has been better, and Cusack gets a surprisingly small role. Simon McBurney is also quite good as the metrosexual husband.

"Friends with Money" succeeds in that it is funny while remaining realistic. It isn't a laugh-out-loud comedy, but a film that entertains throughout, often offering quick chuckles. All of the actors play well off one another, and the story handles its concept quite well. Aniston, in a maid's outfit, also looks pretty hot.

"Friends with Money" isn't going to win any awards, but it deserves a better reception than it has received. While male audiences will enjoy it, the mostly female cast makes this a worthy candidate for a laid back women's night out. Of course, if they were watching this movie on DVD, they wouldn't be going out, but you get the point... Do you? Do you, punk?

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.