MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Extract Rated R

Directed by Mike Judge.  Starring Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis



Photo © Mirimax
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

Writer-director Mike Judge is a very talented guy and the co-creator of the TV series “King of the Hill” as well as Office Space and Idiocracy, two very well received satirical films. 

While Office Space looked at the workplace from the perspective of cubicle workers, Extract tries to see things from management’s point of view. 

Joel (Bateman) is the manager of a successful flavor extract company that is about to be considered for a buyout from a larger corporation.  Joel is tired of the business and looking forward to moving on with his life, but a workplace accident creates havoc and threatens to undo his future plans with a devastating lawsuit.  If that weren’t enough, Joel is sexually frustrated with his wife and considering having an affair with Cindy (Kunis) the cute new worker at the bottling plant. 

Joel’s bartender friend Dean (Ben Affleck) suggests that Joel send a gigolo (disguised as a pool cleaner) to seduce his wife, which would then allow Joel to conduct his affair guilt-free, since his wife would be already cheating on him. 

As bad as this all sounds on paper, Extract manages to deconstruct most of the offensive material and much of the plot in its brief 90 minutes of screen time.  The film could be 1.) A sex comedy reminiscent of the 1960s; 2.) A workplace comedy; or 3.) A courtroom comedy. 

It ends up doing nothing particularly well, although it must be commended for having all of the sexual hijinks done off-screen.  The film is not raunchy enough, smart enough, or clever enough to make much of an impact.  There is a running gag involving an incredibly annoying neighbor (David Koechner) that is particularly entertaining, though.  There’s really not much of a message to this movie or much to recommend it.

Pitchfork Rating:
Two halos. (Occasional moments of real comedy can be found in this unfocused stew of a movie.)
Two picthforks. (Some implied drug use, casual swearing, and implied adultery.]

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