This evening I had the very great pleasure of attending an advanced screening of New Line Cinema's upcoming flick Horrible Bosses. If you're a follower of my work (if you're not, get on that right now) you know i'm not one to gush about a movie in the introductory paragraph. Today, history is made, because i'm telling you right now that if you have any respect for comedy, a single funny bone in your body, or a love for laughter, you MUST GO SEE THIS MOVIE. I do say this without an ounce of hyperbole: it is the single funniest movie I have seen in my 23 years on this Earth.
The premise, as with all good films, is extremely simple. Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day), and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) are three old friends who are fed up with their abusive and truly (as the title explains) horrible bosses. As tensions with their respective superiors reach a boiling point, the three decide that their lives would be so much the better if their bosses were out of their lives. Over a few drinks, they decide to hatch a Hitchcockian scheme in the vein of Strangers on a Train: they will each murder one of the other's bosses. The resulting melee is a hilarious ride that I implore you to go see.
So why have I seemingly leaked all the objectivity out of my brains? Perhaps it's the casting of Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, and Jennifer Aniston as the bosses in the title. Spacey's Dave Harken is what one might call a polished turd - he has the bearing and demeanour of a company CEO but is by far one of the biggest pricks in Hollywood history. Colin Farrell plays Bobby Pellit, the heir of a chemical plant, who oozes malice and contempt for just about every single employee that works for him. Jennifer Aniston rounds out the bosses as Dr. Julia Harris, the sex-crazed maniac intent on banging Dale before his marriage. It's a marked departure from, well Rachel, and refreshing to see Aniston play such a raunchy part. And though the powerhouse trio of Spacey, Farrell and Aniston bring absolute gold to the table as the titular bosses, it's our white collar heroes Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis who really steal the show. It's not so much that they bring outstanding characters to life. Quite the contrary in fact, as the characters of Nick, Kurt, and Dale are completely unremarkable (intentionally, i'm sure, so that you as the viewer can easily put yourself in their place). It's the chemistry between the three that really grabs you and punches you in the bladder, so that you're laughing and peeing all over the place. This is one of those instances in which you know the actors had a great time filming the movie. The laughs start from the very first moment of the film, and they never let up - no word of a lie, I missed several jokes because I was still trying to catch my breath from laughing at the previous one.
This is my kind of movie. It's a shining example of cinema that proves that you don't need CG, explosions, or a convoluted plot to make an excellent movie. All you need is a plot ANYONE can relate to, some good writing, and a few very, VERY funny sons'a bitches. Forget X-Men. Forget Transformers. If you go see ONE movie this summer, make sure it's Horrible Bosses (well, Harry Potter too, but that's a whole different ballpark.)
Final Score: 9/10
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