TRAILER: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jZHwG7CyZFQ (Skip it. All the best punchlines get ruined.)
“…And he’s Canadian, they’re not the same as Americans, they’re nice.”
Director/Writer Steve Conrad’s first feature film is a light, quirky and stylish piece of work. The story of two assistant managers vying for a promotion at the local grocery store ditches the obvious lame pratfalls and harebrained schemes you’d expect and takes a more art-house approach instead. That would explain why it only opened in six theaters. DAMN REFRESHINGLY CREATIVE COMEDY! I WANT MORE STALE PARODIES THAT MAKE MY EYES GUSH BLOOD!
A new managerial position opens up at the new grocery stroe in town and it comes down to two major candidates: Sean William Scott plays the happy sounding narrator (even when things turn to shit) who feels pressure to buy a house for his wife (Jenna Fischer) so badly that he gets caught up in a web of lies. John C. Reilly is a Canadian new to the States with an Irish Wife and a child he needs to support. They both know only one of them can get the job. How far are they willing to go to put the chips in their corner?
The Promotion could have easily gone the broad route and made John C. Reilly’s character an evil (mustachioed) bastard that needs to be taken down a peg. Can someone say EATING MANURE ACCIDENTALLY!? Thankfully, the film takes its two protagonists (A very subdued John C. Reilly and Sean William Scott) and puts them through the doubts, deceits and slight moral quandaries without ever relying on “Wah! Wah! Wahhhhh – He fell into a cake shaped like breasts!” type scenes that comes with the premise and actors. Both characters come packaged with some huge character flaws (Like real people!) and that muddles the waters. Who are we supposed to cheer for the underdog!? Well, that’s the point. The world isn’t black and white, everyone makes mistakes to get ahead and being a hypocritical and selfish person is only human. The comedy here is never of the laugh out loud variety because they rely on uncomfortable situation (Think, The Office) that feels organic to the slow paced world of grocery store employment. It’s a little black comedy, that never gets too dark, that is completely satisfied at making the audience squirm, giggle and nothing more. Steve Conrad’s direction is assured and creative without ever alienating the audience with needless stylish artifice.
The Promotion is one big-little funny moment. Like its uncertain main characters, it doesn’t want to conquer the world. It just wants to live nice and comfortably.
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