Chucklesome adult fare

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 2011)

Three friends: Nick (Jason Bateman) is cheated out of a promotion by his duplicitous boss Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), newly-engaged dental technician Dale (Charlie Day) is sexually harassed by Julia (Jennifer Aniston), the dental surgeon he works for, and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) thoroughly enjoys his work until his wonderful boss has a sudden heart attack and is replaced by his worthless coke addict son Bobby (an unrecognisable Colin Farrell). Each would find life easier without his current boss, so they consult murder consultant Jamie Foxx (I won't tell you his name: it is almost worth the price of admission on its own), following which it seems sensible for each of them to kill the boss of one of the others.
In the modern manner, this comedy is festooned with bad language and people with minimal morals - our sympathetic protagonists are planning murder, for heaven's sake, albeit one can understand why. There is explicit sexual language, drug use and mild scatological material. This is not a tasteful film.
But it is funny - I chuckled most of the way through with an occasional guffaw. The performances are all excellent, albeit Charlie Day's constant shrillness wears a bit thin after a while. But Bateman does his slightly put-upon everyman well, and Sudeikis comes across as more likable and normal than usual.
But the bosses themselves are best. Farrell goes broader than one would have believed possible, Spacey plays the reptilian malice of Dave Harken absolutely straight, and Aniston is a revelation as, for once, she steps outside her comfort zone. The spectacle of Aniston, wide-eyed with innocence, wearing only knickers under an open white surgical coat, and talking dirty, is not one I ever thought I would enjoy - and enjoy is the word. She is raunchy and very funny. More, please, Jennifer.