Sorry to Bother You

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source: Sorry to Bother You

If you're looking to track down one of (if not the most original) cinematic offerings of 2018, then there's no need to look any further than debut director Boot's Riley's Sorry to Bother You. A film that defies any specific type of pigeonholing, Bother is a mix of social commentary, biting satire, black comedy and oddball science fiction yarn set in an alternate version of the city of Oakland that follows Lakeith Stanfield's meandering Cassius Green finding himself a new job and a new skill as a telemarketer but that's only part of the story that ends up unfolding in Riley's gonzo experience. Saying too much more about Bother's arc and little surprises would ruin much of the fun to be found in the film but suffice to say there will be places you didn't expect to be visiting as we follow Green's plight from lifeless office worker to top of the food chain "power caller" that sees him interact with a range of colourful characters such as Armie Hammer's arrogant CEO Steve Lift, Danny Glover's wise old office hand Langston, Steven Yeun's fiery protest organiser Squeeze, Terry Crews long suffering house owner Sergio and Tessa Thompson's artistic soul Detroit. Along this eccentric ride that's filled with colour, sass and more than a few smarts, Riley examines a number of current hot topic issues in imaginative ways and while the film begins to lose steam deep into its second half, this is one of the more promising and inventive debuts in some time and it's safe to say that Riley's transition from musical artist to filmmaker is one to keep a very close eye on if he can conjure up this type of originality again. Bother also acts as a fine showcase for its lead cast members with Stanfield the best his been yet on the big screen after bit parts in the likes of Short Term 12, Get Out and Selma. At first awkward and mopey, Green's transformation into a self-confident soul that morphs once more into concerned citizen is a bizarre one that Stanfield plays pitch-perfectly, ably supported by Thompson as long-suffering girlfriend Detroit, with the young actress once more delivering a turn that strengthens her case to be considered the best young actress working today. Final Say - Needing to be seen to be believed, Sorry to Bother You is an outrageously original offering that works across all its many genres. At times hilariously funny and at other times socially confronting, this is one of the year's most memorable offerings. 4 soft-drink projectiles out of 5

The beginning is very like 'The Wolf of Wall Street', this film is also all about capitalism and greed. Our hero, Cassius is struggling to make end meet, he applies to be a telemarketer and quickly promoted to a 'Power Caller' He discovers that senior management are exploiting its employees to generate more profit (you'll see how towards the end). The humour at the beginning turns into dark social commentary with lots of symbolism. I'm always apprehensive when a poster says 'the best film of the year by far' Well ... it's not the 'best', but very good and definitely different.

Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) cash-is-green lives in his uncle's garage with his girlfriend. He recently got a job as a telemarketer but can't make a sale unless he uses his "white voice." His goal is to be a power caller, ride the gold elevator and make the big money. Meanwhile, there is a company called "Worryfree" which has workers sign lifetime contracts for three squares and a cot, i.e. legalized slavery. The film is an Orwellian/Swift satire of society that wasn't well focused. It made points but failed to capitalize on its potential, by not creating a big picture. Was it about black people who sell out their race and act white, or was it about wage slaves? or temps? Is it about people who are willing to swap freedom for security? It seemed to be all that and more. Guide: F-word, sex, brief nudity.

Greetings again from the darkness. All movie watchers know that the first rule of Fight Club is 'Don't talk about Fight Club'. And now we know that the first rule of Telemarketing is STTS: Stick to the script. The similarities between the two movies may be few, but hip-hop artist (The Coup) turned first time filmmaker Boots Riley comes out swinging in this offbeat, quite clever satire on race, corporate culture, economic factions, social division, and politics. It makes for a nice companion piece to last year's critical darling, GET OUT. LaKeith Stanfield (GET OUT, SHORT TERM 12) stars as Cassius "Cash" Green, a low key good dude living with his girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson) in his uncle's (Terry Crews) garage. Four months behind on rent, Cash wants to do something important with his life, he just doesn't know how ... and his current financial circumstances aren't helping. You may call him a dreamer, but he's not the only one (a Lennon reference seems fitting for this film). Cash's best buddy Salvador (Jermaine Fowler) gets him an interview at a dingy basement telemarketing firm - an interview that clues us in on the type of humor we are in for. Thanks to advice from one of the veteran telemarketers (Danny Glover), Cash utilizes his "white voice" and immediately has remarkable success ... and we get some pretty funny sales call visuals to correspond to the obvious capitalism statement. Ultimately his sales success gets him promoted to the "power caller" level and his own mentor, accessible only through the gold elevator. This leads to conflict with his friends, his girlfriend and his own moral standards. See, the basement dwellers are being led by Squeeze (Steven Yeun) in an effort to unionize for a living wage and tolerable work environment. As Cash continues to pursue ... well, uh ... cash ... his friends carry out their form of civil disobedience. This leads to police brutality, examples of corporate greed, and the downside to individual ambition. Armie Hammer plays Steve Lift, the egomaniacal corporate d-bag who takes Cash under his wing - for the purpose of making more money. The sales pitch turns to "Worry Free", a lifestyle being marketed through brain-washing advertisements for guaranteed food and shelter. One need only commit to a lifetime of corporate servitude. If that sounds like slavery, well, that's the point Riley is making. It's not so far off from the life many of us lead today, but of course this is presented in satirical fashion, so we are manipulated into laughing at ourselves and our society. There is even a popular reality TV show titled "I Got the S**T Kicked Out of Me", and folks can't get enough! The story kind of flies off the rails in the second half with some wacko-science fiction genetic engineering. The equisapiens have to be seen, as no written description will do. Even this segment has purpose. It speaks to how individuals and corporations can seize power and head in a questionable direction - all in the name of progress, efficiency and stock price. Stanfield excels in one of his first lead roles, and Ms. Thompson is her usual shining star. Kate Berlant (as the humorously named Diana DeBauchery) has a couple of excellent scenes, and David Cross and Patton Oswalt are terrific as the (extremely) white voices of Cash and Mr. _________ (played by Omari Hardwick). Filmmaker Riley offers up not a call to arms, but rather a call to wake up! Many of the decisions here mirror real life. Personal success can cost us friends, and political and professional choices may challenge our inherent morals (here, bordering on Faustian). The film is both provocative and funny, though a bit messy at times. You'll laugh while you think, or laugh after you think, or think after you laugh ... somehow you'll do both. OFFICE SPACE and Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL may be the closest comparisons; just be cautious if Boots Riley ever invites you to join in some horse play.

Marvellous, odd ball & a great way to spend a couple of hours. If you like wacky story telling or anything by the great Gilliam then this will work for you. American cinema needs this kind of indie style movie, to offset the general bilge produced by US mainstream cinema. Beautifully shot, with a barking story line - A fine way to pass an evening.