...the best young comedienne in American movies? Faris has livened up Lost in Translation and even Brokeback Mountain in small roles and was the face of the Scary Movie franchise. Gregg Araki's Smiley Face offers Faris a chance to put her dizzy charm to work in a role seemingly built for her.
I'll admit there's not much to it. Faris is Jane, a wannabe actress who spends her days smoking pot and drinking the year's supply of root beer she got for doing a regional commercial. Jane doesn't get along with her roommate (Danny Masterson), so when he leaves her a note asking her to pay the power bill in person she retaliates by eating the cupcakes he'd baked for a sci-fi convention.
That's pretty much it. A hugely stoned Jane must, after buying pot from a dealer (Adam Brody) and then losing it, venture out into L.A. on a journey that eventually encompasses a geeky admirer (John Krasinski), a trip to the dentist's, a failed audition in front of a drug-hating producer (Jane Lynch), and a first edition of the Communist Manifesto. Throughout the film Faris's performance suggests someone trying to work out something with rigorous internal logic and firmly believeing she has, while of course from the outside looking like a complete idiot. Smiley Face can perhaps best be described as the dessert on your movie night. Anna Faris (like red wine or vegetables, to strain a metaphor) is unexpectedly good for you.
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