Amusing and sometimes serious take on what it's like to work in an office environment; the incompetent bosses, malfunctioning photocopiers and the sheer boring incredulity of a life spent staring at four walls and a computer screen. Ron Livingston (Swingers) is the put-upon employee of some faceless software company who, when his hypnotherapist dies in the middle of a session, is left not caring about his work any more. Leaving his cheating girlfriend and job behind he embarks on his one true dream: doing nothing. However, when he finally returns to work he gets caught up in a 'consultation' program which leaves him promoted and his friends fired. Sensing the injustice of this they all embark on an highly illegal scam to screw the company over big time.
The first half of the film was great with Livingston superb as the work-shy Peter Gibbons. Running us through the gamut of big-business stupidity and carelessness it'll bring a smile to the face of anyone who's had to work for a huge multi-national company. However, the second half, when the consequences of their criminal actions appear to be catching up with them, was something of a disappointment. Jokes were cast over in favour of morality and shouting, and though it remains utterly surreal to the end it could have been much funnier.
A good watch, especially for the Michael Bolton jokes and the vengeance reaped upon the hapless photocopier, the bane of all the characters lives, but it's no surprise it failed to get a cinema release over here becuase the material is just too weak to stand up to a full 90 minutes. |
