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Summary: work smarter not harder
Review: I always seemed to have the bosses from hell in my own cubeville, (work smarter, not harder was my last boss's favorite managerial buzzword) this movie captures what life is like for the average cubicle-dweller. Thank you, Mike Judge.
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Summary: Essential viewing at my former workplace.
Review: This is a mini-spoiler, but not much of one. Management actually tried "Hawaiian Shirt Day" at my office. It was called Beach Day, but it was all the same.
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Summary: Funny Movie !!!
Review: This movie is funny.Buy this movie right now on VHS you will not regret buying this movie it's worth every pennt trust me.i just watched this movie on cableand i just went out and bough the movie it's that funny and good,buy it now and stop waitng and bust out your credit card.Ron Livingston is a good funny actor in this movie,i don't know much about him but he's funny in this flick.Stephen Root the man on the cover with the glasses is funny as ah hell,he plays anerd worker that was layed off for 5 years without anybody telling him.This is a very funny movie.....
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Summary: An Absolutely Brilliant Comedy!
Review: This is my favorite comedy ever! The plot is original, the cast is great and the jokes are hilarious. Highly reccommended!
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Summary: I'd laugh, believe me . . ..
Review: . . . if this movie didn't hit so damned close to home it made me feel like crying at the utter pointlessness of it all. I'm talking, of course, about the satirization of cubicle misery that this movie pulls off so painfully well. I feel like giving this video to every upper level executive so they can look in the mirror at what phony squareheads their jobs have turned them into. Humans WEREN'T meant to do the same thing day in and day out until they reach their sixties. So why do we do it? Bills, that's why. I feel depressed after watching this movie, not elated. Monotony isn't a word, it's a sentence.
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Summary: Somebody's Got A Case Of "The Mondays!"
Review: There's something about a study of life in a "cubicle" to which just about everyone can relate; at least everyone who has ever had to get up every day, go to work and punch a time clock, then go home and wait to do it all over again the next day. In "Office Space," writer/director Mike Judge (the guy who gave us "Beavis and Butthead") captures the essence of the work-a-day world, in this case in an office setting, though it could be on any job anywhere, from the largest conglomerate to the smallest business concern; anywhere a "corporate structure" is in place and employed. The subtle humor of Judge's vision is funny, and often downright hilarious, and all with very little exaggeration of the way things really are, from the weekly "motivational" talks from the boss, to staff meetings, corporate "mission statements" and the protocol of cover sheets and memos, all of which-- as portrayed here-- have a sterling ring of truth to them. The central character of Judge's story is a guy named Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston), a software analyst for "Initech," who after working with a therapist finds himself in something of a transcendental state of mind, whereupon he divulges to a pair of consultants-- "efficiency experts" sent in to streamline the company's operation-- that he does only about "fifteen minutes of real work" a week, due to the very structure (or lack thereof) of the company itself. And his refreshingly honest candor in outlining his job description soon has quite an unexpected effect on his life, as well as that of a couple of co-workers. Judge perceptively expands the satire to encompass facets of Peter's life outside the office, as well, which gives the audience even more with which to identify, like driving to work in bumper to bumper freeway traffic that has slowed to a stop-- in Peter's lane-- while the cars in the next lane going flying by; and when he changes into THAT lane, IT comes to a standstill while the cars in the lane he just left start to whiz on by. It's an application of Murphy's Law that -- while certainly nothing new-- works well within the context of this particular story, in which the humor is derived from emphasizing the annoying, mundane things that happen to us all on a daily basis. Like getting in the shortest line at the supermarket and taking longer than anyone else to get checked out. Livingston gives a notable performance, giving Peter that sense of the "everyman" who'd like nothing better than to break free of the rigors of the 8 to 5 existence. He brings an affable presence to the screen that perfectly communicates what Judge is attempting to say, and does it in such a way that it validates Peter's being selected as "Champion of the Cause" as it were. Also turning in memorable performances are Stephen Root (a terrific character actor), as Milton, a guy whose very existence seems to be a study in suffering abuse and degradation; and Gary Cole, as Peter's boss, Bill Lumbergh, whose impudent, laconic methods of intimidation, delivered in such a droll manner, make him the boss everybody loves to hate. The supporting cast includes Jennifer Aniston as Joanna, the waitress with a minimum of "flare" who has trouble "expressing" herself, according to her boss; Ajay Naidu (Samir); David Herman (Michael Bolton); Richard Riehle (Tom); Joe Bays (Dom); John C. McGinley (Bob Slydell); Paul Wilson (Bob Porter) and Diedrich Bader (Lawrence). Reminiscent of the world portrayed in the "Dilbert" comic strip, "Office Space" works because it effectively puts real people in real situations, and brings you into contact with some characters you're going to recognize; I guarantee that no matter what you do to live, thrive and survive, you've run into these people, worked for them, and alongside them. It's a case of art reflecting reality, and to Judge's credit he's succeeded in making a funny movie that really hits close to home, without resorting to any gross or infantile humor to do it. It's a film that simply puts the "corporate experience" in the spotlight and gives you a chance to laugh at "the boss," and maybe even a little bit at yourself along the way.
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Summary: Frighteningly true to life!
Review: I don't know what sorts of jobs Mike Judge's work history includes, but if none of them were low-level (re: peon) white-collar jobs in large corporations, I'd be truly surprised. Office Space does nothing less than epitomize the life that anyone who has every worked in 'cubeville' can more than relate too.Peter, our hero, is the everyman: five years (or so) out of college, a software engineer at the heartless Initech corporation. Every day, he trudges to work to battle with cliche-loving co-workers, eight different bosses (none of whom listen to a word he says), grey cubicle walls as far as the eye can see, and absolute apathy for his work. His friends Samir and Michael Bolton (yes, the name is just a coincidence) live in much the same world of bland mediocrity. What does Peter _really_ want out of life? To do nothing...to relax, sit, and not have a care in the world. Help for Peter's malaise comes from an unexpected source: his nasty soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend who takes him to a hypnotherapist to help him get a bit more satisfaction out of his life and employment. Instead, Peter leaves the session cured a little _too_ well--Peter now intends to fully live out his dream of doing nothing! Thus, Peter begins his assault on corporate America, skipping work, pursuing a new flame, and cleaning fish at his desk. Samir and Michael, pushed around by Initech for the last time, join him in his glory with a 'fool-proof' plan for funding their life of laziness. This movie is much like the 'Dilbert' cartoon strip brought to life. Anyone who has ever worked as a nameless paper-pusher (as I did for three years out of college) behind those grey cubicles will find _Office Space_ an absolute hoot. While the DVD doesn't have many extras, the movie alone (and sitting back, doing nothing, and enjoying it) is worth the purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This is an absolutly great film. Workplace comedy at it's best. While expressing a great deal of office humor it also depicts a deeper meaning as well. Expressed in a quote by the main character, Peter Gibbons,"Human beings weren't meant to sit in cubicals staring at computer screens all day", this would truely be the meaning of this film. People were not supposed to do what society currently expects of us. There must be something more to this mundane life we lead. I truely enjoyed this film and would definately recommened it to others.
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Summary: Surprisingly Funny
Review: This movie made an almost "psychic" connection with me... the first time I saw it, I had just come home from my nightmare job -- many of the same things depicted in the movie had happened to me that very day, including the printer jam with that exact message "Error - PC Load Letter", while trying to print a report that was already late (what the heck does that message mean, anyway?!). I related so well to this movie's honest, astute, and technically correct observations of office culture in the 90's, that the brilliantly original bits of commedy were almost incidental to me (I must have annoyed the heck out of my wife with outbursts like "Oh my GOD, that's so TRUE!" every two minutes). I caught some of the more subtle humor in subsequent viewings. I'll admit, the movie lost its hold on me about 2/3 in, when the main character (who had by this time become an icon to me with his new found "no fear of consequences" attitude) took a strange criminal direction, and his angst began to return. This seemed to break the consistancy. I wan't too thrilled with Jenifer Aniston's performance either, although I suppose that had more to do with her script. In any case, the second time I watched the move, none of this bothered me as much. I've since purchased the DVD, and have worn this disk out playing it for friends. I'll never get tired of this movie... even the sound track makes me laugh. It's a wonder that it didn't get better reviews, although I guess one really would have had to have experienced office politics in the 90's to fully relate (I wonder when was the last time in the 90's that Ebert heard, "Don't forget to fill in your timesheets!") Some reviewers gave it low ratings claiming that it was "lightweight"... okay, so it's no Citizen Kane, but it certainly doesn't claim to be either! Give it credit for what it is -- as a lighthearted observational commedy, it's brilliant. And that's not to say that it was a total no-brainer either... on an intelligence level, I'd rate it much higher than say... any movie ever made by the Fairley Brothers (and certainly much lower on the "obnoxious bathroom humor"-scale). It's a pretty sad testiment to the intelligence of the average North American that movies like "Me, Myself, and Irene" brought in more money than Office Space. I hope Mike Judge doesn't let this stop him from creating another gem.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorite Comedies
Review: "Office Space" is so dead-on accurate in its satirical skewering of the coporate world it's almost scary. The passive-aggressive boss, the older employees constantly feering for their jobs, the constantly inane small talk - all are fodder for this movie's hysterical series of situations. I've watched this one over and over and I never get tired of it. Every actor, even the bit players, bring something fresh and funny to their characters. Unfairly overlooked when it was released, this movie deserves to be seen by everyone in the corporate America and beyond.
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