Horrible Bosses (2011)

I'm going to resist the temptation to simply review "Horrible Bosses" as follows - "Horrible Bosses, Horrible Film". It's all you really need to know, but as reviewer I feel compelled to expand on the above. In "Horrible Bosses" you have an non original idea, some comic situations that come off flat and some truly bad comic writing - oh, and the cherry on top... atrocious film editing and continuity. About the only saving grace to this film is the performance of Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Anniston as two of the bosses. There's also an odd, quirky appearance by Jamie Foxx (whatever happened to this mercurial talent?) that just doesn't do much other than make you say "hey, there's Jamie Foxx, what ever happened to him?" (This last sentence is probably funnier than much of what is presented in the film). As for the film, it starts out well enough, showing how each of the three main characters is at odds with their bosses. Over drinks (in a really badly edited sequence) the trio wonder "hypothetically" if they would be better off by offing their bosses. From here the film spirals downward, the only truism being that three middle class white guys would have no real idea about how to contact a hit man. They bumble and stumble, going from one improbable and unfunny set piece to another, trying to be endearing and "look at me" funny - but it just isn't happening. About the only truly funny occurrence transpires as the three leave a shopping mall in three separate cars - the overhead view of each blocking the other as they attempt to exit is at least mildly humorous, which is more than you can say about their antics and attempts at low brow humor. I will admit that this one sequence, which was almost a throwaway, made me smile: when asked by a cop to explain why he was speeding away from a crime scene, one of the guys replies "I was drag racing". The cop responds "in a Prius???" The guy looks sheepish and admits "I usually lose". The film sure could have used a ton more well thought out bits of humor like this, but far too often relies on situational humor, a misstep when the situations aren't plausible and there's no intelligent banter to support it. In a buddy film of this nature there has to be a click or a spark, so that when the buddies are together you feel good about watching them interact - but the chemistry is lacking here and the three buddies seem to be nothing more than plot devices getting you from one lame skit to another - it almost seems like the director and writer were hoping for some kind of improvisational magic... but the trio left their wands at home.