Now, I don't want any of my readers to be shocked, so let me say, first off, darlings, that the reason I went to see this film was due to the work week I had last week, AND I knew, going in, this was going to be NO artistic masterpiece. Let me say, for anyone's benefit, that if you are expecting something as good as "Nine To Five"--forget it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And yet, the screening Monsieur (who enjoyed it even less than I did) attended was packed!!!!! This speaks less to the film's quality, and more to the fact that, in today's times and economy, the audience relates very specifically to the central issue at hand.
That issue is the heroes working as underlings to supervisors who behave towards them unprofessionally, even harassingly, but, because they ARE supervisors, and these underlings are sort of trapped in their jobs, get away with it!!!!!!
Naive as it sounds, I had no idea how many people would relate to this issue!!!!
And, of course, in real life terms, it can extend beyond a supervisor--to another co-worker, or a mail carrier, cleaning person, whomever, that conspires to make dealing with them as unpleasant as possible!!!! The kernel of the film's experience comes in all shapes and forms!!!!!!
So people are flocking to this film for a cathartic release!!!!! And while there are some funny moments, and moments where the Bad Guys deservedly get theirs, all this conjecturing is better, ultimately than the film itself. Not only is the film vulgar, which did not surprise me, its venturing into areas not often explored was a bit jarring, and the way some of those ventures were handled, I had to question if the film was at times teetering on the brink of, among other things, homophobia!!!!!!! What decided me against this, ultimately, is that the film is too
unsophisticated to have even this level of social consciousness, or lack thereof!!!!!
OK--so, outside of the workplace issue, what makes the film viewable???? Two things--Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Foxx!!!!! For once, Jen is used in an interesting, non-Rachel way, which makes her less annoying, and her outright saucy raunchiness is so much fun, you can tell she is relishing it, too!!!! Like Elizabeth Montgomery as Serena!!!!!! As for Mr. Foxx, his scenes as alleged hit man Motherfucker Jones are hilarious; especially when you realize, which the heroes don't, that they are being played off by Foxx, using everything from street crud to racial stereotyping, to show them up for the inept fools they are. Like Aniston, Mr. Foxx walks off with his scenes.
The film could have used more of them. For, while, cute as our heroes--Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudekis--may be they each, in their own way, before long, become annoying. None moreso than Day, whose whininess should have been reigned in more by director Seth Gordon!!!!!!
Then there is Kevin Spacey, who, being Kevin Spacey, is very good, but who seems to have wandered in from another movie. While he plays the script as written, his demeanor suggests the dark menace of any of his far more serious and better roles. He is simply playing...Kevin Spacey!!!! Or, at least the Kevin Spacey Film Persona!!!!! Either he was told to do this, or broad, bawdy comedy is not his forte!!!! He acts above it all, but the strange thing is....it works!!!!!!!
In some ways, while it should not, so does the film!!!! Basically, I think its success is more than anything to being released at EXACTLY the right time--when everyone out there has some misgivings about their work or people interaction situations, and are using this film to blow off steam constructively!!!!!!
So, darlings, I am not telling you NOT to go!!!! I am not saying there are NOT some enjoyable aspects. But keep in mind that in another time or place, this film might have bombed at the boxoffice. Because of serendipity, it is a hit!!!!!
You are ALL hits with me, loves!!!!!!!
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