Jason Batemen at his Best...Hysterically Funny

Ok, here’s what I’m talking about, finally a really hysterical comedy; my favorite of 2009 so far! Jason Bateman fans listen up as your guy is the shining star in “Extract.” SNL fans of Kristen Wiig are in for a treat as she plays Bateman’s wife. And... if you’ve been wondering what Ben Affleck’s been up to lately, he plays the long-haired bartender, shaggy beard guy who’s caught in some sort of  70’s time warp. His answer to his bar patrons’ life problems are to either smoke weed or consume his relaxation pills; some of which may just be horse tranquilizers.  (Don’t ask now, I’ll explain later.)

The writer and director is none other than Mike Judge from (Office Space 1999) and ‘King of the Hill.’ The story takes place in an extract flavoring plant of which Bateman (Joel) is the owner. The plant makes all kinds of those wonderful liquid flavorings; vanilla, coconut, almond etc. you name a flavoring and Reynolds Extract plant probably makes it. Joel prides himself in his plant but deep down he’s bored with his life and wants to sell the plant. When an offer comes in, Joel is ecstatic. A major hitch in the sale comes when an employee is injured on the job and threatens a lawsuit.

J.K. Simmons (Juno dad) plays Brian the plant manager and he’s a real piece of work. He doesn’t call any of the employees by their proper names nor does he really care who he hires just as long as he has the right number on the assembly line. And...wait ‘til you see the crew at this place! A rockstar wanna-be, a nosey busy-body, a self-appointed Gestapo and to top it all off, the gorgeous new girl Cindy played by Mila Kunis from “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is a thief.  (She’s also the instigator for the lawsuit.)

Joel pays nightly visits to his consoling bartender friend and complains about his wife, Suzie who doesn’t seem too interested in bedroom action anymore. If he comes home after 9:00, the dreaded ‘sweatpants’ appear on Suzie and he knows he doesn’t stand a chance. Dean, played by Affleck, tries to cheer up Joel by telling him that he should just hire a guy to seduce Suzie, then he would be free to get it on with the new hot girl at work (Cindy) and all of his problems would be solved. First and foremost, he’d have a clear conscious and secondly his boring life would be spiced up. One crazy pot smoking night with Dean as the supplier, Joel actually considers this plan. In a drugged out state with a few mistaken horse tranquilizer pills thrown in, and he agrees to it. Dean is thrilled and immediately calls his friend.

Enter, Dustin Milligan as Brad, the young hunky guy who is also ‘the dumbest guy in the world’. I can’t even begin to tell you how dumb this guy is as he goes over to Brad’s house and pretends to clean his pool all the while seducing Suzie. My only regret is that Kristen Wiig is not given more lines as she is so talented and I would have enjoyed more screen time with her character. The scenes between she and Brad are laugh-out-loud funny and as the plot thickens the laughs continue to roll on.

Gene Simmons plays a slick diehard lawyer that wins every case, especially lawsuits. His scenes are over-the-top hysterical as he practically steals the movie. Joel’s problems are of course compounded by bartender Dean’s schemes and he actually can’t believe what a mess his life has become. Bateman plays the straight guy in most of the scenes and he’s perfect for all of the crazies that are around him. The characters in this film all have quirks of some kind or another and that’s what makes the script non-stop laughs.

Sarah Adamson © 2009