Rating: 
Summary: Funny Workplace Insights But Loses Steam Before the Finish
Review: Balding, bulbous Josh Kornbluth stars in this extremely low-budget movie which he also co-wrote and co-directed with his brother. From this bargain basement set-up comes a frequently funny, sometimes insightful comedy about surviving the trials and tribulations of office politics. As a San Franciscan who has experienced the local economic downturn firsthand, I was recommended this movie by a friend who thought I could relate to the predicaments of the main character. Toward that end, much like a series of live action Dilbert cartoons, Kornbluth does an often spot-on job capturing the inanities of the workplace and dealing with one's boss and co-workers.
"Haiku Tunnel" doesn't really have a plot, but the slim premise revolves around seventeen letters that "have to go out right away" according to the unctous boss, typically named Bob. In what appears to be not too much of an acting stretch, Kornbluth portrays "Josh Kornbluth" (with quotations please), an aspiring novelist living in a depressive funk and working contently as an office temporary worker. For one procrastinating reason after another, "Josh" can't seem to get the letters out, and in a contained world that seems to thrive on passive-aggressive behavior, he faces little retribution for his failure. Although no DeNiro, Kornbluth does capture the subservient demeanor of a temp accurately, doing a lackey's shuffle when the boss is around or, when he's late, an all-too-innocent float past the desk of the head secretary, played with a chilly sense of curtailed authority by Helen Shumaker. At heart, "Josh" is really a sad sack having just been dumped by his mountain-biking girlfriend. He's a guy with nothing going on and no pleasure except finding his way to his bed in San Francisco's mixed Mission district. He is comfortable with his limitations as a temp, but it's the promise of health benefits that persuades "Josh" to switch from temp to permanent status. So when he takes a full-time job at the law firm Schuyler and Mitchell ("S&M"), he can have the firm pay for his psychotherapy sessions to remove his apparent writer's block. I do love how "Josh" suddenly becomes visible in the eyes of his co-workers only once he goes "perm". And in a funny cameo appearance, Harry Shearer plays a patronizing company trainer teaching the finer points of dealing with jammed paper in the copier.
The film gets somewhat off-track when "Josh" gets involved with Julie, an attorney who becomes attracted to him as she mistakes him for an eccentric tax attorney. Sarah Overman is actually terrific as Julie, but the movie slides into some surreal world that diminishes audience sympathy for "Josh" at a rather critical juncture in the threadbare story. The seduction scene actually reminds me of a similar scene in Tom Hanks' film, "Big", and the movie never quite gains its footing afterward. But at that point, it doesn't seem to matter as the movie has already lost its steam. I give kudos to Kornbluth for making a clever assault on the white-collar workplace, but rent episodes of Ricky Gervais' "The Office" if you want a more pointed satire of that world.
Rating: 
Summary: Give it up, Josh
Review: Don't expect another Office Space with this one. The main character is pathetic, but not in any way that's endearing. The jokes are wishy-washy and bland and the plot is worse. I've been a slacker temp and I still didn't identify with this movie, or find it very funny.
Rating: 
Summary: Been There!
Review: Having been a temp at "S&M" in real life (although not at the same time as Josh, unfortunately), I recognized the characters in this movie. This made it an extremely personal experience. I must say, he hit the nail on the head! A must see for all employees of law firms!
Rating:
Summary: A huge waste of time - this is no Office Space
Review: I have a feeling that the other positive reviews on Amazon must be from friends of Kornbluth. Watching Haiku Tunnel is like watching a film put together with a consumer video camera by an untrained amateur. It tries to be funny - Kornbluth talks to the viewer while "acting" with the people in the film - it's as though he's doing the viewer a BIG favor and letting on to an inside joke. Only, the joke isn't funny. Kornbluth manages to be pathetic on condescending to the viewer at the same time. By condescending, I mean he lets us know when a gag is coming and "Surprise!" The gag isn't funny because he told us the gag was coming and it wasn't a surprise. It isn't even an interesting story - it's painful to watch, even embarrassing. The plot revolves around his inability to mail 17 "very important" letters which are on his desk. While that's one heck of an idea for a film, it somehow doesn't work here. I turned the movie off. I hope Kornbluth finds success as a temp, because this movie is a failure. I can't believe it was released.
Rating:
Summary: worst film of all time
Review: I have seen many bad films. I have suffered through poor acting senseless plots and crappy scripts. But never in my life have I seen such a vile worthless waste of my time and money as this so called "comedy". Not one member of the audience laughed even once. And half got up and walked out. Unfunny film about ugly stupid and unpleasant characters. No redeeming value whatsoever. Every existing negative should be burned. Send Kornbluth to Afghanistan as a weapon of mass destruction. Did I make myself clear?
Rating: 
Summary: art imitates life
Review: I have to say, speaking as an office temp who has worked for countless offices, I can relate to this film. Especially since it's semi-autobiographical. Some of the best parts where in the beginning especially the names (yes, I have worked with a man who has a III in his title and prefers us to use it) and my discman does have a Pixies CD in it as I type this review.
I have to say that my one chief complaint is near the end of the film when he meets a woman and one slight fib grows and grows. Now don't get me wrong, it was highly enjoyable and entertaining. But it seemed to have broken the flow of everything. The disc itself is nice too, get a few trailers and a commentary as well as deleted scenes. This movie has been compared to Office Space, which I can see, but this is a smart office comedy as to where Office Space is a mindless office comedy (which I enjoy as well). If you are a temp... get this now. You'll love it
Rating:
Summary: Love it or hate it, but why?
Review: I loved this movie, you might hate it. It is a cheap spoof like Woody Allen's old "Take the Money and Run." In this case, the spoof is not about one particular recogizable type of movie, like Take the Money and Run, but about movies and law firms. Half of the fun was thinking, I can't believe that the "action" and "suspense" are built on such a nothing event: mailing off a batch of important letters. The blurb on the box says that this is nothing about Haiku, or tunnels, but I think it is more about Haiku than not. Think about Haiku in terms of the smallness of the structure, a few short simple lines, used as a vehicle to say something that could have been done in a much bigger structure. Not that this moving has a big message. But the fun and humor are built around such a small and tiny premise that you either love that smallness... [or] hate it...
Rating:
Summary: Great movie if you've worked with someone like Josh
Review: I really enjoyed this film. I worked with an old friend of mine right out of college who responded to crisis in the same ways Josh does. Everything was a major crisis. This is a sweet movie but not for everyone will understand or like it.
Rating:
Summary: What a hoot.
Review: I saw this movie on HBO. When the movie started, I did not think much of Josh Kornbluth, I did not find him engaging. However, as the film progressed, I found myself laughing, several times out loud. The next day, I thought of scenes in the movie and found myself laughing over and over again. The beginning of the movie does not seem to lead someone to believe that this is going to be a rip-roaring, laughfest, but in fact it was. The trials and tribulations faced by this character is mountains made out of molehills, with the infamous 17 letters. The secretaries are funny, all the attorneys named Bob are funny, and the oldest bike courier in the world is funny. I really can not say enough great things about this film. It is a quiet comedy and requires some thought and careful attention. But it will have you chuckling for days.
Rating:
Summary: It's Not "Office Space Part 2"
Review: I think the biggest problem this movie faces is that people watch it expecting the next Office Space, which really isn't fair to either film. Office Space is, of course, a truly great comedy well on its way to becoming classic. But the style of humor employed in Office Space and Haiku Tunnel is way different. That being said, I don't believe a minute passed in this movie where I wasn't laughing out loud. Although I did not really identify with the main character of Josh in any way (nor any of the characters now that I think about it), I found him to be very interesting and I enjoyed following his daily adventures as a temp gone perm. This movie was a great character study of various people from all walks of life ending up in the same small space, which I'm sure anybody that's worked in any kind of office can relate to. And in between all the comedy is some pretty brilliant social commentary as well. Not to say that intelligent people will automatically like this, nor that those lacking intelligence will not, but this film definitely caters to those who tend to prefer smart humor.
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