Horrible Bosses: Good for a few laughs

Nick, Dale and Kurt are all miserable at their jobs thanks in large part to their bosses. One night, after drinking heavily, they come up with a plan to eliminate them. They even go so far as to hire a murder consultant to help them go through with the evil deeds, but will they?

Taking its cue from the Alfred Hitchcock classic Strangers on a Train (or the Danny DeVito classic Throw Mama from the Train if you believe Dale), Horrible Bosses attempted to give the audience a comedic look at three guys trying to enact the ultimate scenario for those people that cannot stand their boss. Most of the laughs in the film were provided by those horrible bosses, which included Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell (who did not get nearly enough screen time as Kurt's cracked out boss Bobby) and Jennifer Aniston. Aniston in particular was hilarious as Dale's maneater of a boss Julia for the character was so unlike the "good girl" character she usually plays that every nasty comment that came out of her mouth (and trust me, there were a lot of them) was all the more shocking and funny. Jason Bateman and Charlie Day pitched in with some comedic gems of their own (Jason Sudeikis was just as slimy and unlikable as his boss Farrell) but the film failed to be anything more than a mean-spirited comedy with little to offer beyond its last gross-out gag or sexually charged line from Aniston.

This is not a bad thing, sometimes it's nice to just turn off one's mind and giggle at the insanity happening on screen but if you are looking for a comedy with layers and depth, Horrible Bosses is not the film for you.

Grade: C 

Chloe in the Afternoon: It's okay if a film has subtitles, really.

When someone says to you, “hey, there’s this great French film you should check out,” nine times out of ten you’ll look at them as if they’re asking you to watch C-Span for a couple of hours and politely decline that invitation. But if they are telling you to watch Chloe in the Afternoon, an open-minded approach is suggested.

Frederic is a happily married man who can’t resist engaging in harmless flirting every once in a while. However when he runs into an old acquaintance named Chloe and starts spending afternoons with her, their rekindled friendship turns into a longing that could destroy his happily married life.

Writer/director Eric Rohmer was able to craft an absolutely stunning and perceptive morality tale centering on human romantic relationships, one that was not afraid to tackle questions like; “how can a man love only one woman” or “is it possible to love more than one woman at the same time,” questions that typical Hollywood films tend to gloss over with predictable plot twist or unbelievably silly compromises in story. Frederic (the man torn between his wife and the title beauty) had a life and set of circumstances which wavered a bit on the male fantasy side at points, but it was his constant re-examination of life and relationships with both his wife Helene and Chloe which made him easy to associate with, and also human.

French New Wave films from the 1970’s, like Chole in the Afternoon, might not be everyone’s cup of tea, specifically because they are not like The Break Up or any of those million other crappy romantic films that overrated Hollywood actresses like Jennifer Aniston put out. So those expecting cutesy endings or loveable best friends of the main character delivering oh so subtle sexual quips might be disappointed that there are none to be found. The honesty with which Frederic and Chloe discussed polygamy and monogamy might have seemed shocking to some, but it was that candor which made Chloe in the Afternoon a raw experience and a worthwhile venture into the meaning of love, happiness and companionship.

Grade: A