Review: Office Space (1999)

Directed by: Mike Judge
Written by: Mike Judge
Starring: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, Stephen Root and Gary Cole

I really feel that Mike Judge is one of the great comedic minds in modern film and television. His content has always had a cartoonish nature, but it typically sticks close enough to reality for audiences to relate to it. Office Space is a fine example of this. It mocks the lives of disgruntled employees, but at the same time it sympathises with the struggle of the 9 to 5 in a way that's comforting. It's a movie you're not meant to take seriously, and asks us to have a laugh with it despite its truths.

Peter Gibbons is a software programmer at a thriving IT company called Initech. He finds the job to be mundane, frustrating and he has a deep antipathy towards his boss, Bill Lumbergh. When Initech begins downsizing and outsourcing its workers, Peter and two colleagues conspire against the company to make their way to an early retirement and happiness.

It's the relatable qualities of the movie that I believe have made it an recent comedy classic. The way Judge approaches this is clever enough that it doesn't even matter if every joke gets a laugh out of you. It's situational and you're able to find yourself in the characters' shoes without even realising it. Regardless of whether you're one of the lucky ones that loves their job, or so miserable with it that you can barely stomach rolling out of bed in the morning, there's always that one aspect of it you don't enjoy. Office Space satirises those things and gives you the chance to click your fingers to its tune and say "I've been there."

Admittedly there are aspects of the film that don't achieve all that much. Its central characters are more like personifications of ideas as opposed to greatly developed beings. In fact, its hilarious stereotypes like Lumbergh (Gary Cole) and Milton (Stephen Root) that end up stealing scenes away from our protagonists. One of the less exaggerated elements involves a love story. I can appreciate it getting a little closer to reality, but sadly it just comes off as cliche and tired out.

Even though I've discussed a few things I don't like about it, it's convenient that you don't need to take Office Space too seriously much like you wouldn't Beavis and Butt-Head or King of the Hill. I think this is a great comedy worthy of revisiting every few years.

My Rating: 8/10