One
of the very best comedies of all time...
It's
hard to explain why Office Space was only a
moderate success at the box office. I suppose
the film only appeals to those of us who have
either had a job we utterly detested or those
that are currently experiencing that personal
hell. Some of you lucky schmucks have always had
the job of your dreams, and maybe you can't
relate to the characters and situations in this
modern day comedy classic. I, however, had a job
right after I left college that had many of the
complications and irritations that this movie
highlights.
Peter Gibbons, played perfectly by Ron
Livingston (Swingers), is employed by Initech, a
company that cages its employees in stark white
cubicles and expects perfectly formatted TPS
reports. Peter is tired of everything to do with
his job, from the commute, to his co-workers, to
his bosses, to work itself. His only two friends
at work are Samir, an uptight foreigner, and
Michael Bolton, a computer nerd who insists to
all those who ask that he is not related to that
"no talent ass clown." The three of them devise
a plan to steal miniscule amounts of money,
millions of times over. As Michael says, "It's
just like in Superman III."
Peter justifies the heist to his girlfriend
(Aniston) by telling her that Initech
"represents all that is evil and wrong." She has
her reservations about the plan, as does his
neighbor Lawrence who is one of the most
memorable characters of the year. Diedrich Bader
turns out a performance as Lawrence that will
have you rolling on the floor. His lines are
eminently quotable for months. Lumbergh is the
evil boss that is completely unaware of his
employee's disdain for him. His droning dull
voice is enough to drive a man crazy. Milton is
a shy and oppressed worker who is a chew toy for
all those around him. All the characters are
original and funny in very different ways and
make for an ensemble comedic performance that
hasn't been rivaled since the 1996 classic
Swingers.
The film has a lot to say about corporate
America. In some ways it defines the struggles
and frustrations of the suburban male much like
another great film this year, American Beauty.
Office Space just kicks in a bit of slapstick to
lighten the mood, but the effect is similar.
The jokes are memorable and quotable in the way
that the Airplane, Hot Shots, and Naked Gun
movies were. The acting is as good as it can be
in a film like this... it's not Shakespeare, but
comedic acting, especially dry comedy, is very
difficult to master. The soundtrack is
hilarious, with Gangsta Rap being the anthem for
these white collar geeks. One of the funniest
sequences occurs early in the film when Michael
lip-synchs to Ice Cube on his way to work.
The relationship between Peter and Joanna
(Aniston) is very underdeveloped. What little
there is, suffers from a rushed feel. It is as
if the studio demanded a running time under 90
minutes and the filmmakers felt that the
relationship was the least important aspect of
the film. While that may be true, the film could
have been fifteen minutes longer to flesh out
some of the loose ends.
IF YOU LIKED... American Beauty, Swingers,
Airplane, Tommy Boy, Clockwatchers, In the
Company of Men, and the TV show Seinfeld... YOU
MIGHT LOVE THIS FILM.
Although a silly comedy, the film has something
to say. The jokes are timed so perfectly and the
story is entertaining. It's not often that a
film like this can crack my annual top ten list,
but this one lands at number five in 1999. Not
everyone enjoys this kind of humor, dry and
satirical... but if that is your cup of tea,
then you can prepare for a night of laughing so
hard you start to cry.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
It took me
several viewings to even begin to appreciate
this film...it has grown into my Top 100 after I
finally realized that I couldn't stop myself
from watching this film repeatedly. It's a "Dark
Comedy" that features strong performances by Ron
Livingston and Gary Cole. Jennifer Aniston does
a nice job, however, her character isn't really
given enough to do. I've grown incredibly fond
of Stephen Root's funny yet almost heartbreaking
performance as Milton. The film is written and
directed by Mike Judge (creator of "Beavis and
Butthead") and has a lot of the traits of that
series. This film seems like "Dilbert" on acid
to me.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
