Year: 2011
Director: Seth Gordon
Country: US
Language: English
The first time I viewed Seth Gordon's Horrible Bosses I was underwhelmed, because I had expected a careful and calculating dark comedy with a hint of dramatic murder mystery (think Cohen Brothers' Fargo or Robert Hamer's Kind Hearts and Coronets) This picture has roots in slapstick comedy and is rather cartoon-ish. It has a considerable lack of depth & not a hint of serious emotion. While initially I considered this a weakness, now I consider those qualities a strength that pushes the film forward.
Nick (Jason Bateman) hates his boss because he's a blackmailing jerk. Dale (Charlie Day) hates his boss because she sexually harasses him. Curt (Jason Sudeikis) likes his boss, but when he dies his cocaine addict son takes over and makes Curt's work-life miserable. Together they plan to kill their bosses Strangers On A Train style.
Horrible Bosses is an R-rated comedy, which usually would get a groan from me as most comedies with this rating are full of poop jokes, but Gordon's picture is raunchy without trying far too hard to offend. It is profane without being reundant and outrageous without being tedious. One main reason is due to the actors; Bateman, Sudeikis and Day can do a lot with minimal material. Unlike many modern comedies, most of the hilarity is in the dialogue and character interaction rather than visuals. Bateman plays a great "straight man", which was necessity to have in the presence of two bumbling idiots.
Murder. Car chases. Scandal. Conspiracy. Blackmail. Revenge Horrible Bosses plays with the fantasies of many working men and women, although is far more contrived and deservedly so. The ridiculous twists and turns keep the picture entertaining and make it far from predictable. Even the seemingly scariest character Motherf*cker (Jamie Foxx) is full of surprises. My only gripe with this picture is that it makes light of rape and sexual harassment in the workplace. I suppose the writer(s) thought this would be acceptable if the genders were switched, but this still is creepy. The joke is that males can't be raped by women because men like to have sex with women at all times. Errr....
Despite that particular relationship, I would recommend this picture to those who want to laugh but don't wish to seek out films as old as Arsenic and Old Lace, mainly because I can't think of many examples of "good" mainstream comedies in 2015. Horrible Bosses is clever, well written and often hilarious. 3.5/5
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