Program – Employee Relations (French)

One is serious, the other is a comedy. Here are two movies about the workplace, and about what going to a job does to us as people.

Laurent Cantet makes reflective and considerate movies. He uses non-professional actors for the majority of the roles, and the movies have some documentary feel to them in that they seem "real." In "Human Resources" Franck, a management intern assigned to the human resources department where his father and sister work in factory position, has an assignment. He brings his education and values to the job. When he realizes that senior managers intend to use his work to reduce the workforce -- perhaps including his dad in the layoff -- Franck has to make a difficult choice in his work and in his career decisions. "Human Resources" almost gets melodramatic as the third act unfolds, but it's strong and moving.

Besides two classic television comedies, "Beavis and Butthead" and "King of the Hill", Mike Judge has made three movies before his came to "Extract" in 2009. His second movie, "Office Space" is a cult favorite, and deals with the issues of working in a soulless, mindless office. Judge returns to the world of work in "Extract". He pares back the everything but the kitchen sink approach that worked in "Office Space" but didn't work as well in his next movie, "Idiocracy." It works well, and in its own way is just as thoughtful about the boredom of work, and the effect that a routine job has on people.

Best characters are the supporting ones. Beth Grant, who steals every movie she's in, is hilarious as the bigoted, lazy line worker. Dustin Miller is winning as the idiot gigolo. Ben Affleck does well as the bartender friend of Joel, the factory owner, (Jason Bateman), even though there's maybe too much of his Holden character from the Kevin Smith movies in this portrayal. Lead actors have a tougher job, being normal. Bateman and J.K. Simmons act like the characters they play in other movies. (by the way, does J.K Simmons get to act in every Jason Bateman movie out there today?)

Work needs to be done. When the work is disconnected from the worker, tragedy occurs -- maybe small tragedy, maybe big tragedy. Fodder for good movies, though.