HORRIBLE BOSSES

US, 2011, 98 minutes, Colour.
Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Donald Sutherland, Ioann Gruffudd, Julie Bowen, Bob Newhart.
Directed by Seth Gordon.

Hitchcock did it seriously. Strangers on a Train. Danny de Vito did it for laughs. Throw Momma from the Train. The three men with horrible bosses note this when they are advised by their ‘murder consultant’ that they should each get rid of another’s boss. Horrible Bosses does not take itself too seriously and plays the scenario for laughs. And, generally, gets them.

We are immediately introduced to Nick (Jason Bateman who does this engaging put upon victim often but well) who is two minutes late to work for his megalomaniac and paranoid boss, Kevin Spacey. Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) gets on well with his boss (Donald Sutherland) but not his cokehead, sex-addict son, a surprising Colin Farrell. Meanwhile, Dale (Charlie Day) is sexually harassed by his dentist (a surprisingly aggressive and lewd Jennifer Aniston). The murder consultant, who has a story of his own, is Jamie Foxx.

The guys get together each evening for a drink and get to talking about what life would be like without their bosses – which leads to a search for a hitman (with a funny offbeat toilet humour detour along the way with Ioann Gruffyd as a ‘wetman’ whom they mistake for a killer). Actually, the film could have been called Bumbling and Bungling Employees, as most of the film is taken up with their casing their targets, intruding into their houses and making a lot of false assumptions and mistakes.

While the mechanism which leads to the resolution of the case, which you might guess when you see what they lose in Kevin Spacey’s bedroom, is contrived, it is nonetheless an entertaining way of getting rid of the bosses.

While the bullying of Spacey and the grossly insensitive exploitation of Farrell are obvious (and irritating for employees and audience), it is the sexual harassment issue that demands a bit more attention. This is role reversal from the usual headline cases – and Kurt is such a womaniser that he can’t quite see Dale’s difficulties – that it highlights the male chauvinist attitudes that cannot recognise sexual harassment for the serious problem that it is. And Jennifer Aniston’s comeuppance is not as drastic as murder but pulls her up dead (so to speak).

Director Seth Gordon has been more of a documentary maker, so he obviously has enjoyed making a comedy. The writers of The Hangover are her again, obviously opting for the raucous and raunchy treatment rather than the refined. In the tradition of The Hangover and Bridesmaids, as they say.

1. Comic and farcical? Serious? The raucous and the raunchy? The combination?

2. The different workplaces, audiences identifying with them? Bars, homes, streets? The police? The touches of realism? The comic score?

3. The title, the bosses and the reactions of their employees? Of the audiences?

4. The initial response to Nick, two minutes late, his boss and his tone, urging his employee on, being petulant, the lies, urging him to drink, the later use against him, the control, Nick working at home, the meetings with his friends, expecting the vice president’s job, his work at the office? The contrast with Kurt? His relationship with Mr Pellitt? His prospects, the contrast with Bobby and his decadent life, Bobby’s attitude towards the company? Mr Pellitt dying, Bobby at the funeral, Kurt and his expectations? His being told to sack people, the disabled and the fat? The issue of money? Bobby and his drugs and the women? The contrast with Dale, his work, his being on the offenders’ list (and the preposterous charge about his offence at the schoolyard at night)? Julia and her treatment of him, her tone, the dental work, her blunt talk, the sexual harassment? Dale and his love for Stacy and their engagement?

5. Going to the bar, their talks, their sharing their miseries, their speculating about their bosses, the possibilities of killing them, the plan?

6. Dale and his advertisements, setting up the issue for a hit-man, getting the wet man instead? The ironic comedy?

7. The naivety of asking in the bar, the encounter with Dean MF Jones – and the humour of his vulgar name? His offering advice, the money, the briefcase, the complaints about the expense for the briefcase, handing it over, the limitations of his advice, the opinion about murder, his being their murder consultant, suggesting they do the killings themselves in the line of Strangers on a Train and Throw Momma from the Train?

8. The further experiences of each of the three at work, the continued persecution and harassment? Julia and her using Stacy against Dale? Propositioning him? The glimpses of Bobby and his life? Dave and his humiliations of Nick at the office?

9. Nick, his being sick, going with the group, their going to the house, spying, in Bobby’s house, Kurt and his crude staining of things? Taking Bobby’s phone? The revelation about Bobby? Their going to Dave’s house, Dale on watch, Dave and his collapse with the nuts? Their plan to make him sick? Dale reviving him? The search of the house, dropping the phone? Dave’s reaction?

10. Dave, listening for the phone, his anger, continued suspicions of his wife, going to Bobby’s house, killing him, the group witnessing it? Their attempt to escape? The police catching them? Their being interrogated – and the excuse of the drag race?

11. The decision to confront Dave, Kurt and his womanising, especially with Dave’s wife? Wanting the tape, it running out? Their anger with Kurt? The irony of the guidance by voice for the driving and addresses, Gregory and his Indian name? The irony that Gregory had taped everything including Dave’s mocking them?

12. Julia, the continued harassment, the liaison with Kurt? Her previously blackmailing Dale with photos? Dale having the photos? And his control over Julia? The irony of their friend who was sacked, and was a gigolo? His coming to Julia’s office and compromising her?

13. The effect of the final trick, Julia under control? Dave arrested, Bobby dead?

14. The happy ending – and with Dean MF Jones after his advice? Their futures?