Aniston's good - very good...

Picture the scene: It's March 23, 2003, and the 75th Academy Awards are being presented at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

"And the nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role are: Jennifer Aniston for The Good Girl..."

It sounds like a far-fetched plotline for Aniston's hit sitcom Friends, but Miguel Arteta's sly and unsettling comedy of romantic errors may just be the film to establish Mrs Brad Pitt as a serious performer.

The Good Girl is the first film to really test Aniston's talents and she delivers in some style, casting off the quirky mannerisms of her Central Park alter-ego to get under the skin of a woman who has lost her way and her self-belief.

Justine (Aniston) has just turned 30 and is still working at the Retail Rodeo store on the cosmetics counter with sardonic colleague Cheryl (Zooey Deschanel).

Her husband, Phil (John C Reilly), doesn't appreciate her, and seems more interested in getting drunk night after night with business partner Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson), co-owner of their small-scale painting and decorating business.

A glimmer of hope arrives in the form of handsome yet deeply troubled 22-year-old employee Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), who becomes obsessed with her.

The pair embark on a tempestuous affair, which offers Justine the sexual fulfillment and physical closeness she so desperately craves.

Unfortunately, Bubba stumbles upon the illicit lovers during one of their secret trysts and Justine soon finds herself trapped in a web of lies, deceit and blackmail.

Writer Mike White crafts a powerful and moving tale of small-town angst, laced with jet black humour.

Gyllenhaal confirms his standing as one of the finest actors of his generation with a twisted and eccentric performance, while Reilly's cuckolded husband is beautifully played and Deschanel offers comic relief as a feisty teen.

Aniston has played safe in her previous film roles. With this one she takes a gamble - and it pays off.