Horrible Bosses

These posters really sum up the bosses in this movie, which make it awesome.

Horrible Bosses is about three friends who conspire to murder their bosses — a la Strangers on a Train —when they realize that the bosses are standing in the way of their happiness. "For Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day), the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston) into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con (Jamie Foxx), the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers... permanently."

First of all, just let me say that I never pictured Jennifer Aniston breaking out of her "gorgeous girl-next-door, Rachel from Friends" generic roles. Never ever ever. Not in a million years. She is fantastic as an oversexed, boundary pushing, sexually harassing female boss. Rachel is a thing of the past, you won't even recognize the Aniston in this movie.

Also in an astonishing (though somehow fitting) role is Colin Farrell as a balding, coke-snorting asshole who inherits the business and becomes the boss for no better reason than daddy didn't think he'd be dying that soon. Oops. Tool-dom, however, is not beyond Farrell's grasp and is definitely a fitting persona where his usual tough-guy pretty boy is not. The bald, however, I could have done without.

The storyline is clever but bland, full of hijinks and mishaps as the three friends (Bateman, Sudeikis and Day) contract a "murder consultant" (a heavily tatooed Foxx) who demands major moolah, is a terrible negotiator and is eventually revealed to be a media pirate rather than the cold, hard killer he presented himself as.

Smattered with choice actors in surprising roles, silly twists, and the unlikely help of a GPS customer service agent, Horrible Bosses is definitely a must-see. As one critic put it, "Overall Horrible Bosses makes more right steps than wrong ones. The film's willingness to go to some truly dark places for a laugh combined with a cast more than willing to tag along for the ride keeps everything funny if not always on target."

Yours,
The Movie-ist