Rating: B+
Dir: Mike Judge
Star: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu
The maker of Beavis & Butthead moves into the live-action field with this hugely acidic look at 90’s work culture. And that’s where the film’s strength lies: any movie with a hero who’s a computer programmer working on the Millennium bug is going to strike a chord with me, and this was a procession of moments where I thought, “Oh, my god, that *is* my company”. It’s kinda comforting to realise that you have to put up with the same BS procedures, bosses and workmates regardless of where you are.
There is a mildly engaging subplot about them scamming money from the company, and a slightly amusing romantic element involving Aniston as a waitress with the absolute minimum of “flair”, but it’s the spot on recreation of office life which will work brilliantly for anyone employed in a similar situation. The soundtrack is a bizarrely viable mix of Perez Prado and gangsta rap, and the mob-style execution of a recalcitrant piece of office equipment is perhaps the highlight — Dilbert made flesh is the best way to sum this endeavour up.