PRICE CHECK B
USA (92 mi) 2012
d: Michael Walker
First and foremost in this movie, even better than the movie
itself is the music by Dean and Britta and their former band, Luna, which by
itself is worth the price of admission, where their still relatively unknown
exposure could use a jump start from this small indie film. Links to available YouTube music videos of
songs used in the film will be listed after the review. This is a wildly uneven but comically satiric,
capitalistic take on the American Dream gone wrong film, as personified by Pete
Cozy (Eric Mabius), a normal and typically easy going guy, living from paycheck
to paycheck in the New York suburbs of Long Island, not particularly happy in his
job, but he knows and likes the people, even if none of them are really his
friends. Working in the marketing
division for a string of supermarket chains, this was never his career choice,
rather the kind of job he settled for in order to pay the bills, as his real
joy is spending time with his lovely wife Sarah (Annie Parisse) and infant
son. When his longtime boss retires,
someone from corporate headquarters is being brought in with a reputation for
being a “real ball-buster.” The new boss’s arrival is, of course, preceded by a
moment of brilliance from Amy Schumer as Lila, seen as she walks into the
building in the morning when she deadpans “I feel like shit, being human sucks.
I hope someone brought donuts.” This
defines the prevailing blasé office attitude where casual nonchalance takes
precedent over actual work. Of course,
who’s brought in to shake things up and get these slackers in line? Susan Felders, rising corporate star, played
by none other than Parker Posey, introduced here: Price Check Movie (Parker
Posey & Eric Mabius) - YouTube (1:35).
Posey is energy in a bottle, given a starring role written for her by
the writer/director, where she channels the spoiled and manic nature of her previous
role in The
House of Yes (1997), where she is literally so narcissistic that she always
has to have her way, steamrolling over others to make sure she gets it. Her ruthlessly ambitious personality is both
lovably adoring, the way Posey plays it, yet also slightly terrifying, like
she’s an unleashed monster in the room.
Posey’s high strung character represents the boss from Hell,
the Type-A personality that has you immediately sending out resumé’s for
another job, but then she pats you on the back, calls you by your first name,
and starts throwing out impossible sales projections that need to be met by
next week, accompanied by the shouting of hurrah, clapping her hands, yelling
let’s get to work, and deep down, you know she really means it. Immediately you know your life is not the
same anymore, as it’s owned by the company you work for. But Pete doesn’t see it that way initially,
as he’s a decent and earnest guy, responsible and hard-working, feeling it’s
time to step up to the plate and try some of these new ideas, though doubling
his salary and making him a company Vice-President doesn’t hurt in buying his
allegiance. Sarah’s a little upset that
he’s bringing work home with him, that he never has time for his family
anymore, but she’s fine with it as she’s finally able to pay off the credit
card debt. Hell, she’s even got her eye
on a new Volvo to replace that stinker in the driveway. Posey always works best with a straight guy,
and Pete couldn’t be more straight and narrow, where she has him eating out of
the palm of her hand, supporting her every move, reduced to being a corporate
lackey, yet actually excited about implementing these newfangled business
ideas. Susan needs a guy like Pete to do
all the work, as we never see her do any of it, instead she’s the sleight-of-hand,
deviously motivating “bullshit” overseer that expects everyone else to pull
their weight, and hers as well. She, of
course, takes home the corporate paycheck, while everyone else earns the
satisfaction of a job well done, and maybe, in good times, a small Christmas
bonus.
In the 40’s and 50’s, Posey would be played by Judy Holliday,
where her unbridled enthusiasm would liven up stale business practices, and
she’d catch the ear of a corporate mogul who’d find her ideas refreshing and
exactly what was needed to prevent the company from being driven to corruption
and ruin by the predictable financial experts who were little more than yes men. Half a century later, the company plays with
sharks in the water who bully and terrify the workers into becoming yes men,
where in reality it’s a cutthroat business where only the strong survive and
any misstep only gives them grounds to cut you loose. The meat of the narrative hardly feels like a
comedy, and the way Susan manipulates Pete, the financial numbers, and her
entire corporate world is an artificially dizzying process that is oftentimes
uncomfortable to watch, as it’s saturated in greed and self-centeredness. Susan not only controls Pete’s working life,
but she takes over his personal life as well, as he’s forced to spend every
waking minute with her. Again, his wife
Sarah suspects something’s up, but she’s willing to overlook it because of all
the money rolling in. What’s truly
unique is the use of the Dean and Britta music playing quietly underneath,
where Susan and Pete actually catch them in a live act, which is nothing short
of brilliant, but Susan’s only there to be seen with a hip crowd, where she
still wants to be the center of attention, barely even conscious that a musical
group is onstage, as it’s all about her.
Like a Faustian bargain, straight arrow Pete actually falls for this, as
he envisions seeing himself up the corporate ladder somewhere on easy
street. And it all could have happened,
only it doesn’t, as instead of his trusted business ally, Susan in real life is
a heartless backstabber, cutting him loose without a second thought,
undermining his own ambition with a little of her own, where nowadays it’s
considered sound business practice to eliminate the competition. The capitalistic ruthlessness of the film is
a bit frightening, dressed up in what appears to be light comedy, even the
so-called happy ending where Pete lands on his feet, but it’s a savagely downbeat
and dark tone.
Musical Soundtrack
“Someone Else” The Working Title Someone Else - The Working Title (3:31)
“Black Postcards” Luna Luna - Black
Postcards (Tell Me Do You Miss Me ...
(9:54)
“When There is No Crowd” White Fence White Fence - When There is No
Crowd (5:37)
“Eyes In My Smoke” Dean and Britta Dean & Britta : Eyes in My
Smoke (4:35)
“Malibu Love Nest” Luna Dean and Britta Malibu Love Nest (4:31)
“We Dress Ourselves” Princess Katie and Racer Steve Princess
Katie & Racer Steve We Dress Ourselves Rock Songs Music For Kids (3:11)
“Harvest Moon” Pepper Rabbit Pepper
Rabbit, 'Harvest Moon' @ Bootleg Theater, 1.19.10 (4:06)
“Mermaid Eyes” Luna Luna
- Mermaid Eyes (3:33)
“After the Moment” Craft Spells Craft Spells - After The Moment (4:01)
“Radio” My Hero My Hero Official
"Radio" Music Video (3:28)
“Well Well Well Well” The Satin Peaches The Satin Peaches - Well Well
Well Well (3:33)
“I Found It Not So”
Dean and Britta Dean & Bretta - I Found
it Not So (5:30)
“Show You Mine” Alyx Alyx
- Show You Mine (2:50)
“Ramona” Craft Spells Craft
Spells - Ramona (3:16)
“Night Nurse” Dean and Britta nightnurse - dean wareham
britta phillips (3:54)
“Knives From Bavaria” Dean and Britta KNIVES FROM BAVARIA (2:55), also here: Dean
and Britta "Knives from Bavaria" Live @ The Warhol in Pittsburgh JANE
HOLZER (4:43)
“Ticking is The Bomb” Luna
“Big Toe” Xray Eyeballs Xray Eyeballs - Big Toe (2:58)
“We Are the Dinosaurs” Laurie Berkner The Laurie Berkner Band
- We Are The Dinosaurs (2:28)
“All I Ask” Theodore Theodore-All
I ask (4:43)
“All Things Merry”
Britta Phillips
“The Day Summer Fell” The Sand Pebbles Sand Pebbles The Day Summer Fell
(4:05)
