Extract

[kevinknapman]

Saw this last night at the Paramount Pictures screening room. There was a buffet and free drinks beforehand. There weren't that many people there though.
As for the film it's Mike Judge's return to workplace comedy. His first was the cult favourite 'Office Space'. The workplace here is a flavour extract business run by Joel (Jason Bateman) who has managed to build a successful business at the expense of his marriage to Suzie (Kristen Wiig) which has settled into a fairly passionless relationship spent watching 'Dancing with the Stars'. Joel seeks refuge in a local bar, run by old friend and druggie Dean (Ben Affleck) who is quick to offer advice (usually of the bad kind). What follows is series of bad decisions on Joel's part that could ruin both his marriage and his business. A workplace accident, an attractive grifter, a dumb gigolo and an annoying next door neighbour all play their part in Joel's potential downfall.
Extract is a watchable and occasionally laugh-out loud comedy. Judge has assembled an excellent cast. Jason Bateman is the perfect 'everyman' who manages a certain level of likeability even when he's making increasingly dumb decisions. Ben Affleck steals every scene he's in, showing a great sense of comic timing that he doesn't usually get the chance to display. Plus there's good support from Wiig, Mila Kunis as an attractive grifter, JK Simmons (Spiderman) as the manager of the extract plant who can't even be bothered to remember the employees names and just refers to them all as 'dinkus' and David Koechner (Anchorman) as Joel and Suzie's incredibly annoying next door neighbour. Gene Simmons also has a wonderfully unsubtle cameo as a lawyer and Dustin Milligan is hilarious as an incredibly dumb gigolo.
Extract isn't a great film. It's a little unfocused, lacks the satire of 'Office Space' and is unlikely to become the cult hit that film did but it is worth a look, especially for fans of that film.

[EthanRunt]

Finally catching it today, could have watched it online or imported from America by now, but I saw it was definitely getting a cinema release and was desperate to finally, FINALLY, see a Mike Judge film on the big screen, I hope it's good.