Film Review | Horrible Bosses

For all of its many pitfalls, the sad thing about mediocrity is the fact that, at the end of the day, it simply works. Look to any sphere of life for proof of this: from the highest echelons of politics, down to the way most of us cut corners during housework. It keeps the machinery ticking nicely. Any attempt at excellence requires effort, effort that would distract us from maintaining to a schedule because of course, we’re all just so busy.

The runaway success of the (not so)high concept comedy Horrible Bosses is a beautiful illustration of this fact. Pitting a trio of comedians against an equally flamboyant but far more devious trio of evil bosses is good enough a setup for hilarity on its own. But when you add a murderous twist to the proceedings, you could potentially have the grounding for comedy gold.

But really, why bother? Best just leave it at that. Best just let the story of put upon employees Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Arbus) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) who declare war on their morally sideways employers with as narrow a trajectory as possible, as the committee-written screenplay by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein hits the right notes of funny seemingly by accident, not design, and far too rarely to justify its $70 million-so-far profit margin.

But the profits have raked in, and a sequel is already being discussed. Mediocrity has won again, and life can resume as normal.
It’s not that Seth Gordon’s film doesn’t – genuinely – have its moments.

Where the leads are bumbling comedians, the villains – Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell – are bona-fide Hollywood stars, and the fact that two out of three play against type is a treat in itself. I’m sure most of us felt bad about – poor, sweet, woefully misguided – Aniston while the Branjelina affair was still fresh, and even worse when we had to concede to the fact that yes, unfortunately Angie has just enough buxom edge to quash the little lamb.

Here, however, Aniston’s sweet exterior belies an amoral vixen with a penchant for blackmail – she is Dentist to Dale’s Dentist’s Assistant – and her disregard for a conventional workplace dress code and a strategic use of readily-available anaesthetic make her a character who’s equally easy to love and hate.

Perhaps it is a blessing that the impressively uglified Farrell doesn’t eat up as much running time as his counterparts: the coke-snorting successor to a chemical company is a one-gag construct that nonetheless recurs to make Kurt’s life a living hell.

But it is that Great Cobra of Hollywood who predictably ends up making the most impact. Not to rock the boat too hard, what Spacey presents is merely a watered-down version of his Swimming With Sharks Tinsletown mogul.

But in Spacey’s case, OK is enough to make him stand out.

A depressing thought, but there you have it.