"Comic cast seals deal in 'Employee of the Month'"
An attempt to carve out "Office Space" in a warehouse store setting, Greg Coolidge's "Employee of the Month" falls short of that inspired Mike Judge mark but manages to retain a certain goofy appeal thanks to the stand-up efforts of its comically adept cast members.It would certainly seem to be a ripe, untapped environment for laugh-getting, but the picture -- following the ruthless rivalry between a cocky cashier and a laid-back boxboy for those title honors -- takes a little while to find its groove. Once it does, the wry, character-driven humor picks up enough momentum to carry it through to the checkout desk. (Michael Rechtshaffen, Reuters)
I went to see this flick last night with some friends, and I agree with Rechtshaffen. It was more of a "giggles and chuckles" sort of comedy than a "gut-busting laughs" sort. Props to Jorge (Efren Ramirez, Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite) for a subtle but particularly charming and funny performance.
Oh, and the scene where Vince scans an item on a shelf from several hundred feet away... Impossible. I use one of those scanning guns at Target all the time, and they don't have that kind of range. Still, it was pretty funny when he scanned the guy in the eyes.