'Office Space' is a white-collar comedy for cubicle-class

'Office Space' is a white-collar comedy for cubicle-class

By Tam Notosusanto

JAKARTA (JP): Workers of the world, unite! And go see Office
Space.

This film is an ode to those overworked, underpaid workers
slaving away in cramped cubicles and performing pointless duties.
Hanging onto what's left of their dignity and minuscule salaries,
they have to grapple daily with job insecurity and evil superiors
keen on making each working day a miserable one.

And if that description sounds distressing, don't be
disheartened. Office Space is actually a comedy.

Just like Kevin Smith's 1994 flick Clerks, the TV series
Working and the comic strip phenomenon Dilbert, this movie uses
humor and satire to tell the suffering of low-level employees.
The hero in Office Space is Peter (Ron Livingston), a young man
working at a computer software company. Every day is a constant
battle for him as he fights malfunctioning office equipment, gets
harassed by various supervisors and slouches through the tedious,
endless office hours. His only salvation is Joanna (Jennifer
Aniston), a waitress at a nearby restaurant he has a crush on and
who he can only see on his lunch breaks.

But Peter finds a way to break away from it all after a
session of hypnotherapy with a psychiatrist. Suddenly he manages
not to care: he does not show up for work, and when he finally
visits the office, he walks around aimlessly and ignores his
boss. Ironically, his new-found defiance impresses two
consultants hired by the company to sift through all the
employees before deciding which losers should be let go. Peter's
ersatz brazenness wins him a promotion and a guaranteed career
boost.

However, as Peter adapts himself to this new turn of events,
he discovers something: his coworkers and good friends Michael
(David Herman) and Samir (Ajay Naidu) are among those about to be
downsized and their used to pay for the raise which accompanies
his promotion. His loyalty to his friends prompts Peter to warn
them, and together they plan revenge to get back at the evil
software company.

Mike Judge, the movie's writer and director, keeps the film
light, throwing in witty one-liners and sight gags that stay away
from vulgarity and make the film utterly funny and enjoyable. The
themes of vengeance and anger are approached so subtly and coated
in such entertaining zaniness that they never seem disturbing.

A constant laugh-getter is Michael's last name, which is
Bolton. Judge uses this gag to the hilt. A hilarious, dialog-free
scene in which the three employees execute a fax machine in an
open-field, mob-style, is the movie's most memorable moment.

Judge not only attacks the white-collar, yuppie bosses. He
also flays the manager of the TGIF-look-alike restaurant Joanna
works at, with his suffocating, inane demand for her to add
flares to her uniform. Incidentally, Judge plays this small but
essential part himself.

This movie certainly doesn't resemble any of Judge's previous
creations: MTV icons Beavis and Butthead and the satiric TV
cartoon series King of the Hill. But his drollness and wit are
all here, along with his consistent defense of the deprived and
oppressed.

And Office Space would not have been so effective without the
comedic flair of the ensemble cast. Ron Livingston, who looks
like a young Dan Akroyd, lights up the screen with his angst-
ridden-laborer-turned-liberated-office-crusader. Wonderful
comedic performances are provided by David Herman -- a dead
ringer for John Ritter -- with his laconic Michael, and Diedrich
Bader as Peter's airhead neighbor Lawrence.

Jennifer Aniston, the only "name" in the cast, gives a
sufficient supporting performance. Although hers is only a
complementary role, she fills it with the necessary strength and
ardor. Her Joanna has apparent chemistry with Livingston's Peter,
and the scene in which she gives her boss the finger will delight
oppressed waitresses everywhere.

And lighting up the screen as the demonic boss Bill Lumbergh
is Gary Cole, aptly cast for he played the devil himself in the
short-lived TV series American Gothic. Cole's Lumbergh is an
employee's nightmare and the only thing missing from the scenes
he's in is the theme music from Jaws.

Milton, the constantly-abused, unintelligible comic strip
antihero Judge created is also brought to life in this film. This
always unfortunate employee is played by Stephen Root, the actor
best known as the boss in the TV series NewsRadio.

Even though Office Space's conclusion is rather flat and a
disappointment considering the wholesome fun delivered by the
entire movie, this is still a thoroughly pleasant and enjoyable
movie. It is a one and a half hour escape for all office
employees before they return to their cubicles and misery. Before
they return to real life.