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2011, 07-18:
Review of film: “HORRIBLE BOSSES”
Having been a serial sufferer from the actions of LOUSY bosses thru the years, I could certainly “relate” to the basic premise of this movie...
... Three friends commiserate about the upsets they suffer at the hands of their bosses:
... Dale Arbus (CHARLIE DAY, who played “Charlie” in the TV show “IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA”) is an assistant to a female dentist, Dr. Julia Harris (JENNIFER ANISTON)...
... Most guys might like the fact that Jennifer keeps “HITTING” on them sexually, even in the office. But, Charlie is in a “committed” relationship with a woman named Rhonda Harken (JULIE BOWEN), & he’s thus always disturbed by “Maneater” Jen’s consistently-inappropriate & “explicit” behavior...
... Nick Hendricks (JASON BATEMAN) is a management contender – working in an office for a very TOUGH “PSYCHO” boss named Dave Harken (KEVIN SPACEY) who likes to make glorified promises (such as a “promotion”) that he has NO intention in following-thru on...
... Jealous Kevin likes to put Jason “DOWN”, & demands he work 12-hour days since he seems to get a kick out of being a “slave-driver” & being able to pull the “WOOL” over an employee’s eyes (by encouraging him to drink alcohol in the early morning, & then publicly “chastising” him for it, etc.)...
... Kurt Buckman (JASON SUDEIKIS) is an accountant who works for the owner of his chemical company, Jack Pellitt (DONALD SUTHERLAND). His boss is thoughtful & kind, & Jason loves working for him...
... But, unfortunately, Donald suddenly dies, & the company is taken over by his “cokehead” son Bobby (COLIN FARRELL)... Colin is an inherently dishonest guy who wants to save MONEY by cutting corners (including firing a fine disabled employee)...
... Due to his money-grubbing ways, Colin is eager to do illegal things to get a better return, even if it causes toxic waste to be dumped in a populated area...
... Since Colin is also eager to try to ruin Jason S’s basic job situation, one might accurately call him a “TOOL” (as an ad does for the film)...
... Couldn’t the 3 friends simply QUIT their jobs with the mad managers they work for?...
... Well, in this day & age of tough times economically, they realize they could never “GET BY” on other (especially lesser-paying) jobs (particularly Charlie, who was wrongly accused of being a “sexual” predator & who thus finds it hard to get any kind of work)...
... When the three friends get together & share their “horror” stories about their bosses, they come to the conclusion that they’d be far BETTER off if the people they work under were DEAD...
... Fueled by alcohol, they even reach the point that they feel it’d be good to “HASTEN” the demise of the bosses, even if that means MURDERING them. Unfortunately for the friends, none of them can devise a means to DO that & not get personally CAUGHT for their plans...
... That situation causes them to try going to a “3rd party” to move their plans forward. In a bar, they talk to an ex-con hired gun named Motherfucker Jones (JAMIE FOXX), who claims HE can do the jobs for them-- if the MONEY is “right”...
... Well, all that may “sound” easy-- but getting things actually accomplished is something else entirely... It’s especially difficult when PROBLEMS keep arising in their plans, since there weren’t many effective “BRAINS” behind their tactics in the first place...
... Things eventually get so bad, the friends want to “END” their agreement with Jamie-- but he won’t accept their revisions or give back the money... All he’ll do is become a “CONSULTANT” as to how they could achieve the murders...
... Overall, what Jamie offers is the idea that they kill each OTHER’S bosses (rather than their “own”)...
... The three faulty “amigos” are not too “swift” in their efforts to accomplish that, accidentally spilling & ingesting some of Colin’s coke, inadvertently dropping one of the CELL PHONES they were carrying at Kevin’s place, etc...
... Will their mistakes come back to “haunt” them?... What will transpire when one of the bosses is unintentionally caused to KILL one of the OTHER bosses?...
... Will one of the bosses be successful in blaming the 3 friends for the murder?... What will happen concerning the “OTHER” still-living bosses?... Will the amigos end-up BETTER or WORSE after their plans are put into motion?...
... This 98-minute Warner Brothers film was directed by Seth Gordon, who also did 2008’s “FOUR CHRISTMASES” & 2010’s “FREAKONOMICS”...
... I found the writing of this somewhat WEAK in that, when they have decent concept ideas, they tend to use “HANGOVER 2” type raunchy “CHEAP” humor rather than anything especially “clever” dialogue-wise...
... There are a number of funny elements, but they’re usually “SITUATIONAL”-based rather than anything really “witty”. They gave me “SMALL” laughs, more “guffaw” than “hearty”...
... To me, the actors went “BEYOND” the material they had to work with. All the major characters (the bosses & employees) do very GOOD work in their roles (with Charlie & Kevin being the ones with the “meatiest” roles)...
... Jennifer’s allowed to be “wide” in playing her purposely “image-shattering” character, & thus she’s quite FUNNY (like in the best of the “FRIENDS” years)... Colin is the “surprise” in the way he’s playing such an unusually “EXTREME” against-“type” farce role...
... So, while it was “excessive” in a good deal of its comedy, a lot of it was nicely “UNDER-played” (by the 2 Jasons, especially Bateman)...
... The nutty SITUATIONS themselves were enjoyably set-up, & thus I’m rating this at 7.25 out of 10 stars...
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