Product: Office Space (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Office space
When I was twenty four I had the most awful job and the most horrible boss in the world. I used to come home every night and weep tears of rage and frustration that my life had shoved me into this hideous corner ruled by an unpredictable, illiterate control freak . She (sorry - this feels good - maybe I should let it all out) was one of those horrific people who is appalling at communicating and yet believes themselves to be a "people person". With a slight grasp of management speak she would jumble metaphors and clichés "You've got to be on board about this" whilst gesticulating in a strange half-knowledge of body language intended both to put me at my ease and to communicate her assertive demeanour. The result was a stream of gibberish accompanied by contortions. It would have been amusing if it wasn't actually my life."Office space" was a source of enormous comfort. I mean- I was really bad at my job. What my boss lacked in communication skills I could match with poor organization and sadly this prevented me from feeling too hard done by. Peter, , - the main character in the film -is perfectly alright at his job. However he is constantly chided by his eight bosses for putting the wrong cover on a set of reports. Attention to detail was never my forte. I'm with Peter all the way.He works in a cubicle surrounded by ghastly people. A woman with a really annoying voice. A strange sociophobe who has a weird attachment to his stapler. A dreadful boss who begins each sentence with "Hey, what's happening". American for "can we have a chat". Christ I'm glad I don't work in an office any more. His job is made tolerable (just) by two fantastic mates - Samir a foul-mouthed Muslim who taught me some new ways to swear and a marvellous geek lumbered with the name Michael Bolton.. There's a love interest too: Joanna - the waitress at the local them ed restaurant (played by Jennifer Anniston). Just in case we wondered whether working in a restaurant were any better than in an office, Joanna shows us that she too is hostage to a moron boss, shoved into a hideous uniform and forced to wear stupid braces with badges on and supposed to charm the customers with non stop driveling banter to give them the "experience" they expect along with their burger. She's got a vile colleague as well- brown nosing, back stabbing and irritating.In a road to Damascus moment Peter decides that all he wants from life is to "sit on his ass". He starts to skive work, be rude to his boss and do flap all. But, the management consultants - brought in to do some routine "cutting out of dead wood" decide to promote Peter and sack his two friends. The boys create a computer programme to rip off the company in revenge and I shan't tell you any more in case I spoil the ending. It's great.If only the characters were less believable. Even the cultural differences couldn't stop me recognizing a previous co-worker in every single scene. Apart from the one I would definitely have copped off with -a blond, sex-obsessed frat-boy, from whom I learned the phrases "take a ride on the bone rollercoaster" and "I'm gonna show her my O face". If you can't work it out watch the film. And if, after watching it, you decide that your life is imitating art it's time to sit on your ass. You never know - you might get a promotion.