The Promotion (2008)

Not Whacky

I guess I was expecting a different kind of movie. With Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly who have done some outrageous movies, I guess I was expecting something else. It reminded me of when I went to see Punch Drunk Love and I couldn't decide if it was a drama, or just a bad comedy. I think in a film like this, it needs to be a black comedy to work. Everything is just too mellow as the two men compete for the job of manager of a new supermarket. Things really would have been better going the way of "War of the Roses". Maybe it is just me. This film seems to be getting decent reviews here on Amazon. December 18, 2008

Horrible Movie

We had never heard of the movie but the two guys are usually funny. I bought it and when it got here we put it in at the fire station. We were just wanting to relax and watch a movie that would make us laugh. There were a couple humorous parts but that is about all I can say for this movie. Most of the guys left and went to their rooms within the first 20 minutes. I actually watched the whole thing and decided by the end I should have left when everyone else did. I do not recommend this movie to anyone. December 16, 2008

Not for Me

Figuring the stars in the movie i thought this would be hilarious but FOR ME it just wasnt all that. I think Shean Scott and John Reilly ar every funny actors but this move just felt long and uncomfortable. To Me at least November 2, 2008

"My Grocery List Didn't Include Sexual Harassment, But Thanks" ...

Doug Stauber (Seann William Scott) and Richard Wehlner (John C. Reilly) find themselves competing for the same managerial position. Where most films would have one clearly likable character pitted against another nefarious one, this work takes no such short-cut. Herein resides the beauty of this piece. The Promotion is as much a drama as it is a comedy.

Just a short caveat: This is not your typical comedy, so the exposition may throw you off. Nonetheless, after the first ten minutes the film's playfulness begins to peek through ... and by the twenty-minute mark, the viewer is thoroughly engrossed. So, just let go of all assumptions and let Conrad (the director) guide your feelings.

At times, this piece is genuinely hysterical: the comment-cards, the shopping-cart gag, the parking-lot gangs ... all funny. At other times, it's deliberately uncomfortable: both men need this advancement, both men have families, both have our sympathies. The moments of tension are fairly intense. The betrayals are almost heart-crushing. But even in its darkest moments (there are a few), the viewer never wants to abandon the film. Its complexity is what makes this work so appealing!

Hey, I knew it was a great film when I heard Public Image Limited on the soundtrack (just had to say that). But it is the small details that add a touch of reality: the well-intended but entirely annoying neighbors (who play the banjo), the myopic supervisor (who thinks every minor infraction will bring-about the apocalypse), the sticker name-tags worn at company-retreats (though everyone knows each others' names), and the bizarre mantra that the customer is always right (even if they concuss you with a Yoo-Hoo bottle). No matter what your position in life, no matter what your career, you should find some slice of yourself here.

This is a very clever, surprisingly nuanced, and entirely relatable work. It was both strangely touching (Riley dancing in the vacant store was surprisingly painful) and yet comedic (the Teddy Grahams stalker seemed to turn into a demented "Where's Waldo"). Can you ask for more?

If you want to see Seann William Scott in a more mature, more challenging role, this film may be a good choice. (Who knew he had it in him??!!) I hope more of these complex roles come his way!

The closest film to which I can compare Conrad's The Promotion is Forster's Stranger Than Fiction. Though there isn't much one can call "existential" in this piece, there is a similar emotional dynamic. So, if you've ridden that particular roller-coaster and found it gratifying, you may enjoy this one.

P.S. This film made me reexamine my approach to comment-cards. It think I'm going to start peppering-in some expletives ... just for fun ... but only on the positive ones!! November 1, 2008

The Promotion

Very creative, a must see movie that tragically had limited theatrical distribution. John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott are terrific. Writer/director Steve Conrad is a rising star out there and this was a perfect first-film for him to direct. I bought it and have watched it three times already with different friends. October 3, 2008

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