Product: Office Space (1999)
Rating: 3.0
Not a great comedy, but a decent one...
I've seen this film twice, and I have to admit, it's nowhere nearly as good as many of its fans claim. It feels undernouirshed and way too episodic. The director, Mike Judge, came from TV, and it has a TV feel to it, as opposed to a cinematic feel. The film doesn't flow at all. The scenes go awkardly from one to the next. However, there are some priceless moments (the conversation about "flair", Ron Livingston's great line about work (ain't exactly missing it), the destruction of the copy machine), but all these moments are actually in the trailer. A lot of times between gags the film seems to be killing time, and the film ends up being very boring. Some might argue that office work is boring (it is), but still, a realistic portrayal doesn't always translate into great filmmaking. The performances here are first rate, with the underrated Gary Cole giving a hilarious one as Ron Livingston's boss. Livingston himself makes a great sad sack and Jennifer Aniston is nice as the waitress who is Ron's love interest. It's not the deepest romance ever, but it passes the time. The film is not a disaster, far from it, but it is overrated and not a great comedic gem. Still, there are very funny moments which make it worth watching at least once.