Had enough of your bosses antics? Fantasise about their demise? Think that you’d be better off if they were dead? You’re not alone film fans, as “Horrible Bosses” quickly proves.
“Horrible Bosses” is a fantastically executed comedy, revolving around Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), three friends who have grown so tired of their bosses exploits and sexual advances that they begin to hypothetically talk about murdering them. A couple of drinks and a partial rape later, the trio leap into action, hilariously attempting to find ways to kill their bosses with the help of their newly found murder consultant, Motherf*cker Jones.
Even critics who cannot appreciate crude humour can at least credit the film for the amazing chemistry between Bateman, Day and Sudeikis, a chemistry rivalled only by “The Hangover’s” wolfpack. Their comic timing was flawless their attention to detail incredible, Day’s performance was most notable and his character’s crazy antics got some of the biggest laughs (you always need a lovable oaf, and for “Horrible Bosses”, that oaf is Dale). The bosses themselves were memorable, if purely because they were a caricature of real bosses out there. Audiences will be able to relate to Nick, Dale and Kurt as the contend with their bosses, they will remind them of themselves and all the long hours they have worked without so much as an acknowledgement, all the inappropriate behaviour they have let slide, all the unprofessional things that their boss has done that they would never be allowed to get away with…. The worker/boss combo seen in the film is an extraordinarily stretched version of what could technically be reality. Everything that happens in the film is insane, but in a strange way, always manages to remain plausible.
The script itself needs to be praised for that achievement. It’s not often that a funny script picks up a host of well known names (How’s Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Anniston and Colin Farrell for you?) and a big budget and doesn’t “sell out”. Effort has clearly went into this film to ensure that the focus was not on the big names, but the plot instead. It’s a perfect piece of escapist cinema, there’s enough action to keep you entertained, it’s literally a laugh-a-minute plot and there isn’t any confusing, irrelevant details to the storyline. What you see is what you get, a phrase that cannot be applied to numerous amounts of trans-genred (patent to the movie-geek!) “comedies” that Hollywood seems to be lifelessly churning out.
The crude humour may not be to everyone’s tastes, but it had our screening in absolute fits, and I challenge anyone not to find at least one scene in the movie funny. A clever device employed by Seth Gordon and the script writers was the use of comedic shock tactics, in which the audience believes whole-heartedly what the characters believe, or they fill in their own blanks to what is going to happen next and then, suddenly, their expectations are thrown into disarray as something entirely different happens.
“Horrible bosses” is certainly up there with “Bridesmaids” and “The Hangover part II” in the running for best comedy of the year, so if you are in the mood for a hearty chuckle (or are sporting some serious anger towards your boss) go see this film. You won’t be disappointed.
