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Mike Judge
February 19, 1999
The scary part about “Office Space” is the number of people that live the same mind-deadening job as a cubical slave. If you are one of those people, steer clear of this film. And if you’re not it will remind you that life isn’t so bad. It’s a film that suggests regular employment is a living hell. A lifetime commitment of repetitive hell work for the small chance that you could become one of your nine bosses. Not exactly what your guidance counselor recommended.
Peter works at Initech, one of those “mind deadening jobs” which slowly drives him mental. No sooner than later, Peter finds himself in group therapy, complaining about his problems to a hypnotherapist. He is slipped into a trance that puts work second to everything enjoyable in life. But of course, choosing when to come into work is a slippery slope to unemployment. However, when a team of efficiency experts are pulled into trim the fat at the work base, Peter is labeled a “straight shooter with upper management written all over him.”
Now in his “upper management” position, Peter and his two friends Michael (David Herman) and Samir (Ajay Naidu) conspire to screw over the company and make some quick money while doing it. Rounding off all payments to the next lowest penny and depositing the proceeds to a separate account, they never have to work again.
Although small budgets for films typically means bad CGI and acting, Mike Judge was able to create the most believable modern day sweatshop that many companies can call their work environment. And although most the humor turns to the disgrace of a cubical job, the comedy reaches out to unemployment as well. Joking about white collar prisons with minimum security and conjugal visits, it’s music to the ears of anyone working the cooperate life.
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