The most telling bit of information in this film comes during the closing credits, when it tells us that this film was "Based on the monologue 'Haiku Tunnel' by Josh Kornbluth". And that's how this film feels -- like a monologue, not like a drama. Kornbluth ignores the "show, don't tell" rule that I thought EVERY writer learns in their very first writing class. As a result, we are treated to needless voice-overs, and jarring cutaways from "Josh Kornbluth" the character to Josh Kornbluth the director, "explaining" the plot as if his audience is too stupid to think for themselves.
The essence of drama is a threat to one's identity. We quickly grasp Josh's identity as a neurotic creative type in a stifling corporate world, and we're shown how "going perm" at the law firm constitutes a threat to that identity. His repeated failure to mail the "17 very important letters" is an act of rebellion (sometimes conscious and sometimes not), to keep that identity from being submerged. But in the end, thanks to the intervention of his boss and co-workers, he succumbs to the corporate mindset.
That's the plot in a nutshell. A great movie could have been made out of it. Instead, we get a lot of distracting asides regarding the quirks of temp workers and, lawyers, and legal secretaries. This is fine in a comedic monologue, but death to a film.
It's not a terrible film, and it does have its funny moments, although I'll agree with the other viewers who said that it comes nowhere near "Office Space". Kornbluth ought to try again, with a script written as a movie rather than a warmed-over monologue. Then we'll see whether or not he can actually give us a good film.
The essence of drama is a threat to one's identity. We quickly grasp Josh's identity as a neurotic creative type in a stifling corporate world, and we're shown how "going perm" at the law firm constitutes a threat to that identity. His repeated failure to mail the "17 very important letters" is an act of rebellion (sometimes conscious and sometimes not), to keep that identity from being submerged. But in the end, thanks to the intervention of his boss and co-workers, he succumbs to the corporate mindset.
That's the plot in a nutshell. A great movie could have been made out of it. Instead, we get a lot of distracting asides regarding the quirks of temp workers and, lawyers, and legal secretaries. This is fine in a comedic monologue, but death to a film.
It's not a terrible film, and it does have its funny moments, although I'll agree with the other viewers who said that it comes nowhere near "Office Space". Kornbluth ought to try again, with a script written as a movie rather than a warmed-over monologue. Then we'll see whether or not he can actually give us a good film.