Matcollis
This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.
Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Quiet Muffin
This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Michael Ledo
First I must give kudos to Steve Zahn and Christina Applegate for their incredible performances. Christina has shown remarkable maturity from early roles and I predict one day may get an Oscar. This dark comedy starts out with our Bank manager or former bank manager riding a bus. After a boring monologue, and sorry attempt at crude humor, the story flashes back 36 hours. David (Matt Dillon) is engaged to Christina. She is clearly out of his league. Steve Zahn is best buddy, a coroner who robs people and hates the establishment. At times he is our voice of reason in this dark comedy. After losing his job and girlfriend in the same day, David is depressed. Steve takes him to a strip club and tells him he needs to start enjoying life. David responds (paraphrase), "You are going to give a bracket that you stole off a corpse to an 18 year old stripper and have sex in the parking lot while snorting crank off a Bowie knife." To which Steve responds, "And your point is?"The most comical scene is at a restaurant where Christina is breaking up with Matt. Her parents (Dad is a preacher) are there. She reads a letter about the break-up and discusses in some detail, their sex life while mom and dad listen.The movie ends up with multiple twists at the end which appears eerily similar the opening bank robbery scene in the "The Dark Knight." For those of you who enjoyed the twists and intellect of this movie I would recommend "The Brothers Bloom."
Michael DeZubiria
I have to admit that after about 20 minutes of this movie I was this close to just turning it off and moving on to The Grudge, which I watched right afterwards. Man, I'm glad I didn't, though, because this movie goes from pretty boring to not so bad to pretty good to VERY good. It's odd that this film has been so completely overlooked by critics and denounced by IMDb reviewers, who either understood how well-made this movie is (especially the script, which is brilliant) or it went completely over their heads and they couldn't wait to log on and berate the film as a total failure. One reviewer calls the movie "the dregs," but then again this genius also gave Memento (probably one of the three best films released in 2000) a vote of 3/10, so utter cluelessness coming from this person is hardly lightning out of a clear sky for unexpectedness. Another user gave it a lukewarm response, but also called Lost In Translation a real yawner, American History X "waaaaaaaay overrated," A.I. "the most boring movie I've ever slept through," and the absolutely ridiculous 2003 Texas Chainsaw remake "one of the better slasher flicks" (!!). Now, I hesitate to call this last user clueless, because he really seems like a nice guy (I'm sure he's a good father as well), but his list of reviews betrays the fact that he may be wired completely backwards when it comes to movies. The Texas Chainsaw remake better than A.I., Lost in Translation, and American History X?? PLEASE. Now, I normally don't go on this much about what other people have to say about any given movie. Notice that I'm not getting into the two external reviews posted for the film (Scott Weinberg and Movie House Commentary, at the time of this writing), which is amazing because they are both so completely wrong that it's difficult not to elaborate on my incredulous disbelief. It's sad that when a movie comes along that is actually well-written, so many people can't resist comparing it to a similar film that came out previously, completely ignoring the new film's good qualities and simply writing it off as a rip-off. This happened a lot with the wonderful comedy Runaway Bride, about which so many people immediately said things like "You know, I've seen this movie before...When it was called Pretty Woman" like it just absolutely must make them the cleverest person on earth. Personally, when I see a movie that looks stupid but turns out to be a very well-made thriller (like Wild Things), I don't generally complain when a similar movie comes along, as long as it is also well-made and stands on its own, and Employee of the Month certainly does that. There are scenes in the movie that I thoroughly disliked, such as some stupid sex jokes, too much profanity, and anything involving dead people and jewelry, but Steve Zahn is great in his role, Matt Dillon gives a wonderful performance in a well-written character, and the plot twists start small and then get faster and faster and by the time they're done you're halfway through the end credits. People are really quick to criticize the twists in this movie. The twists are either too predictable or too unpredictable or there are too many of them or they're dumb or some other such nonsense. When the twists first started I was impressed by where the movie was going, because I thought it was going to be something completely different, but by the last one the movie had made very clear that many of the twists were done with tongue firmly in cheek, that you were meant to have a good time. This movie is all in good fun, and while it slips up by getting a little too vulgar for its own good from time to time, it most definitely deserves to be compared to Office Space, because it is certainly one of the great dark comedies.
jvbledsoe
I watched this movie last night because I thought I was about to watch the "Employee of the Month" movie with Jessica Simpson and Dane Cook in it. As soon as I realized it wasn't the same movie I initially thought maybe the wrong movie was placed in the cover, etc. Anyway, I actually enjoyed this movie. I love comedy's and I love movies that actually have a decent plot and this one did. I tend to shy away from movies that have something take place and then as the actor/actress snaps out of their dream/funk the real deal takes place. This movie isn't full of these, but does contain a few and it didn't disrupt the movie at all. It also keeps you guessing in a way and it's pretty easy to figure out at the end. Even the final twist you know who the person is walking up to the car. Or at least you should! I checked spoiler even though I don't think I leaked anything, but really not sure what the guidelines are here. Also, I probably could have ranked the movie a bit higher.
iaretehwinnerguy
One of my all time favorite movies ever. I've watched it 3 or 4 times this summer alone. The cast is perfect, and the mix of action, comedy, suspense, drama, etc. is amazing. Steve Zahn is brilliant. Everyone time he shows up in the movie, laughs happen. He is hilarious throughout the entire movie. His humor is completely off the wall, and he almost doesn't even fit into the movie at all, yet fits perfectly. Matt Dillon is so laid back and cool throughout most of the movie, and you almost forget that he doesn't really have a scar in the real life until half way through the movie. The rest of the cast do their jobs perfectly. The entire movie takes a turn equal to Fight Club in my eyes. Even my friend who figures out EVERY movie 30 minutes in, never saw that coming. Then it turns on you again, then you think you know whats going to happen next. Then it doesn't happen, and then it does. Every single performance is right on, the music is perfect, and the miscellaneous humor is spot on. I think the best part, is that almost everything about the movie is given to you up front, you just have absolutely no idea.
