Review of For a Good Time, Call... (2012) by Philip P — 28 Jan 2013

I went in with rather low expectations, but hoped for the best as I find Ari Graynor to be a great comedic actor and willing to go as far as she needs to for the sake of a joke. She is paired here with the less known Lauren Anne Miller, but is able to play the role of good girl gone bad with a nice tone of genuine fun that convinces us why she feels the need to have a summer fling with her less boring and reserved self.

The two girls (Ari as Katie and Miller as Lauren) are at first sworn enemies for an incident that happened in college but are brought together by mutual friend Jesse (Justin Long) when each of their circumstances have them either finding a roommate or living on the streets.

Graynor's Katie is the supposed wild girl of the bunch that always partied in college and has lived up to her reputation by now working in a nail salon. Lauren was in a serious relationship that ended up going nowhere and loses her stable job in the same week.

In order to make some extra cash Katie performs a little phone sex each night and Lauren can't help but see her new roomie isn't making the kind of profit she has the potential to turn. And so, the fun ensues when the girls decide to start their own phone sex line.

It may sound a bit of a simple premise, but it allows for the exploration of some very funny truths and some equally tender moments that give the film a little heart to go along with its raunch. Justin Long is especially enjoyable here as the gay best friend to each of them that only loves it even more when they too become good friends.

Seth Rogen, Kevin Smith, and Nia Vardalos make fun cameos and at a brisk hour and twenty-five minutes the experience speeds by leaving you with nothing more than a fun impression and a smile on your face.