”Extract” is okay, clever, and funny, but never reaches the level of a new comedy classic, like creator Mike Judge’s “Office Space”.

The movie does earn its “R” rating with adult themes… its not gratuitous or overly raunchy, but it does have language that you might want younger viewers to avoid.

 Like “Office Space” and “Idiocracy” before it – Judge creates some great characters in “Extract”.   It starts with Jason Bateman’s solid turn as Joel – the boss of the factory making extract…  his talkative neighbor, Nathan, played expertly by David Koechner… J.K. Simmons nails another supporting role as Joel’s factory manager … Ben Affleck pulls off Joel’s goofy friend Dean… Mila Kunis is convincing as the scheming new girl Cindy… while Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins Jr., Beth Grant, Gene Simmons, and Dustin Milligan add to the solid mix with their characters.

Where the characters are fun and interesting, and there are some funny jokes – the story never completely connects with everyone or gains any real comedic momentum - just several mildly amusing jokes and funnies.  The movie is very deliberate and matter-of-fact, even slow for some… and while it gets where its going in the story, it is not overly entertaining.

While the cult-classic Mike Judge movie “Office Space” focuses on workers in an office, this movie focuses more on the boss in a factory… those two differences may be the reason why it didn’t connect to me on a personal level.  I’m curious if this is funnier to anyone who has worked in a factory and/or is the boss of a business.  (If so, please post a comment below)

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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 For all the girly buddy movies I’ve seen over the years, this is the buddy comedy for guys… its a beautiful bromance – Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are hilarious in “I Love You, Man” !!!

I’ll warn you now and get this out of the way, “I Love You, Man” is rated R.   Its filled with guy jokes… raunchy humor… and bodily functions: things that women may not all like… but it delivers on its goal to make you laugh.

And just like “Confessions of a Shopaholic” was a chance for guys to learn something about women and shopping… women can learn a little something about guys and their male friendships in “I Love You, Man”.
 

 (Spoiler-free)

Paul Rudd is Peter… an slightly uptight guy about to get married, who is comfortable around women, but awkward around guys and guy things.  One of the running jokes throughout the movie is that he’s always struggling with trying to come up with nicknames or clever sayings around his guy friends.

Jason Segel is Sydney… a foul-mouthed, straight shooting guy that Peter hopes he can become friends with… and his fiancee hopes might be his best man.

One of the great scenes you may have seen in the trailer is when Peter hosts an open house on the big property he’s trying to sell and as Sydney is people watching, he does play-by-play on one guest’s flatulence.

The movie’s poster tells you everything you need to know: its a great blend of Peter’s slightly uptight awkwardness and Segel’s laid back carefree attitude as the two begin hanging out together for hours just doing guy things.. watching tv, playing games, eating corn dogs, listening to cool music, being goofy, and talking about guy stuff.

This is a comedy, but its also a story that is very accesible and easy to connect to… with all kinds of great buddy moments that are both funny and feel good.

“I Love You, Man” also includes a solid supporting cast.   Rashida Jones (”The Office”) is good as the fiancee, Jaime Pressly and Jon Favreau are surprisingly good as the friend couple, and Andy Samberg (”SNL”) does well as the brother, but J.K. Simmons steals the scenes again (“New in Town”, “Burn After Reading”, “Spider-Man” 1-3) as he delivers some hilarious unexpected lines with a straight face.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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“New in Town” is funny and cute, its like Bridget Jones in the U.P.

This supporting cast of folksy characters makes a mostly predictable formula better than your typical romantic comedy.
Renée Zellweger is back in a role that fits her, along with romantic interest Harry Connick Jr. and a fun cast of characters from New Ulm, Minnesota, this romantic comedy is the first true “date movie” of the year.

The movie opens with two of the quirkier characters from New Ulm in southest Minnesota – Blanche played by great character actress Siobhan Fallon (birthing coach in “Baby Mama” (2008), hostage in “The Negotiator” (1998), Edgar’s wife in “Men in Black” (1997)) and Trudy Van Uuden played by Frances Conroy – gossiping around the scrapbook table about Renée’s character coming to town.

Blanche and Trudy steal scenes back and forth until Stu the plant manager - played brilliantly by J.K. Simmons – is introduced, then the three characters shoot out one Min-uh-so-tahn one-liner after another.  Including Trudy Van Uuden telling Renée’s character Lucy how to spell her last name, saying ”thats double U, not dub-ya”.

Sure its a Minnesota stereotype… but they embrace it and all the actors fit right into this town of characters, including the waitress at the local diner, and yes, her name is “Flo”.

Renée’s character Lucy comes from Miami to the cold of southeast Minnesota and doesn’t fit in well with these well developed characters as the new President of the plant – which is the lifeblood of the town.

The premise of changes and downsizing at the plant also hits home for Michiganders in this economy with the prospects of job losses and plant closings, and the folksy characters of New Ulm not only are different from Lucy, they are leary of her arrival because it usually signals job cuts.

While she’s there, Lucy has one funny mishap after another as the “new person in town”, they range from her first introduction of cold weather at the airport to her crashing into a snowbank after her weekend flight home is cancelled.

THE BOTTOM LINE: (more…)

If you haven’t seen “Burn After Reading” yet, you should soon before this “R” rated comedy-drama from the Academy Award Winning Cohen Brothers is no longer in theaters. 
(* BUT BE CAREFUL ABOUT TAKING KIDS TO THIS ONE: THIS MOVIE IS LOADED WITH ADULT THEMES AND BAD LANGUAGE *)

People like to throw around the term “cast of characters”… but “Burn After Reading” really is a GREAT group of quirky and clearly defined characters !!!!

“Burn After Reading”

(2008) (rated: R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence) (1 hr, 35 min)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, J.K. Simmons, David Rasche

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama

The Plot: A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.

MY TAKE (very minor spoilers):

There’s a reason why I went with my gut recommending this movie *before* I saw it …. all the makings were there (written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen, a great cast, and a trailer that pulls you into the theater) and the audience is paid off !!!

I was captivated from the opening scene with Malkovich to the final scene with Simmons and Rasche.

This is one of the best ensemble casts I’ve seen in a long time… there were no wasted roles for any of the main speaking parts:
Brad Pitt is great as a goofy gym-trainer wanna-be spy…

George Clooney is right on as a charming ladies man, but gun shy treasury department employee…

Frances McDormand delivers as a gym employee tragically desperate for cosmetic surgery and a man who can make her laugh…

John Malkovich doesn’t disappoint as an intense, but alcoholic/psychotic CIA agent…

Tilda Swinton is perfect as a cold and direct wife and doctor…

Richard Jenkins is right on target as the timid gym manager…

and J.K. Simmons and David Rasche are great as CIA Officials with a perfect Abrahams-Zucker style of sarcastic seriousness that has you waiting for their next moment of wit trying steal each other’s scene.

With all these great characters and performances, it makes me think about the Academy Awards (more…)