Beware of the underdog

Film review: Horrible Bosses

Now showing at your neighborhood cinemas, Horrible Bosses is a farcical comedy that takes potshots at the obvious target of Bosses from Hell, and champions the underdog employee who dreams of that golden day when tables are turned on these bosses who abuse the power they wield. To be frank, the movie plays like a TV sitcom where expletives aren’t “bleeped out,” and where risque sexual connotations and situations are given free rein for the laughs they’ll evoke. Think Hangover, without a wedding planned, and you’ll have a good idea of the vibe of this broad comedy. It’s Mr. Everyman vs. the System, as exemplified by the Boss who gets a kick out of being abusive and a living nightmare, coupled with the naivéte and earnest befuddlement of your well-meaning, underappreciated employee.

Directed by Seth Gordon, the film stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as the underdogs... and playing the Alpha dogs (and one Queen Bitch) of their respective lives, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell; and with Jamie Foxx thrown in for good measure, as the underdogs’ murder consultant! Treated first to episodes that show just how horrible their bosses are, we are then thrust into the middle of a gripe session when the absurd notion of knocking off their bosses is actually mouthed and openly expressed. What follows is the farcical side of the film, earnest but plain stupidity, bravado and machismo masking sheer ignorance, and utter ineptitude supplying the laughs and comedic set-ups. Up to this point, the film works, and it seems that noted and awarded actors like Spacey, Farrell and Foxx are truly having fun in going overboard with their character portrayals. Farrell, for one, is practically unrecognizable as the coke fiend, lustful, son of the owner. As for Aniston, as the dentist who sexually harrasses her assistant, she also seems to be enjoying all the talking dirty, and the departure from the female romantic lead roles we expect of her. 

If there is a marked flaw in the film, it would the last quarter of it, when absurdity takes over, and it seems they had run out of ideas, and were in a rush to end the film on a feel-good note. Obviously, this is a lightweight outing of a film, and while the comedic sparks don’t fly as high as they did in The Hangover, there are enough “moments” to make this film enjoyable.