The Promotion

This movie was in limited release in June of this year, opening in no more than 81 screens and grossing a measly $400,000. That would be a normal pedigree for an independent feature with unknowns, but look at the cast: John C. Reilly (Boogie Nights), Seann William Scott (American Pie), Jenna Fischer (TV's The Office)... And it was written and directed by Steve Conrad, whose previous film work includes writing The Weather Man and The Pursuit of Happyness. With a look at the kind of talent involved, and seeing how it failed in release, one can only think the worst: this must be a terrible movie. On the contrary: this is actually much better than it may seem.

Now look, I'm not saying this is a great movie, or even among the best of this year. But I enjoyed it. How much you like this movie will probably depend on how dialed-in to the film's brand of humor you are. This is not, and I repeat - not - in the vein of any recent Will Ferrell-esque comedies, despite the presence of John C. Reilly (which, while we're on the subject - I've always been a fan of his, and it's great to see him with some success, but he's been in some really bad movies lately). The writing of Steve Conrad (who's also making his directorial debut here) firmly places this movie in the realm of "middle-aged man growing up" pictures. So, yes, it's funny. But there's also a little more to offer here than that. There aren't any huge statements here, but there's some cracks at the supermarket business at a corporate level - something I found extremely funny.

This video features strong language. So, obviously, it's NSFW.

Seann William Scott has always been something of an acquired taste for some people. Some love him, some hate him. I could always take him or leave him, but I liked him here. I found him sympathetic and likable. The tone and inflection of his character's speech might seem a bit forced and unrealistic at times, but mostly I bought it.
In all honesty, there's not a whole lot to the characters here. There's just enough back story for the main characters - to provide motivation for their actions - and everyone else basically gets short shrift. But keeping in mind the movie's short 85 minute runtime, this isn't a huge problem. The movie starts off quick, and the light and poppy score drives it right along to the end.
This is worth a watch. I'm not sure if I'd ever watch it again, but it was a pleasant enough way to spend 90 minutes. I'm sort of surprised that this movie was buried at its time of release - especially with that great cast - but don't be scared off by its short time in theaters. It's an undiscovered gem. Not quite a diamond, but at least a gem. Or a shiny rock of some sort.
(It's released on DVD this Tuesday.)