‘Extract’ is Worth a Taste (***)
If Office Space put the average worker in the limelight as the protagonist, Mike Judge’s new film Extract instead focuses on the plight of the small business owner. Though workplace humor is similar territory for Judge, the twist in perspective and a new crew of wacky characters makes Extract well worth giving a try.
Jason Bateman stars as Joel, the good guy owner of a small company that produces various flavors of extract syrup. He is aided in management by Brian (J.K. Simmons) who cannot even bother to learn the names of the workers in the factory. The factor is filled with not-so-bright workers, including Step (Clifton Collins Jr.) who actually aspires to be the floor manager. After Step is injured during a freak factory accident, he is targeted by a sly con-artist named Cindy (Mila Kunis) who also takes a job at the factory. Cindy’s presence also intensifies the sexual frustration Joel is having with his wife Suzie (Kristen Wiig).
Jason Bateman and Kristen Wiig
So, there’s the setup. Joel is the nice guy who bad things start to happen to. His best friend and bartender Dean (Ben Affleck) gives advice after advice that invariably turns out poorly, and soon Step is hiring a lawyer (Gene Simmons in a funny cameo) who may destroy his business. Joel can’t even catch a break coming home as his neighbor Nathan (a hilarious David Koechner) constantly bombards him with inane conversation.
Fans of Office Space will feel right at home with Extract, as the film’s cinematic style is similar and not at all like Judge’s previous effort, the Sci-Fi comedy Idiocracy. Judge himself makes a cameo appearance as a factory work who (nearly) inspires a strike. As with Office Space, Bateman’s central character has a transformation of sorts and though the particulars are ridiculous, the story arc is actually believable. Bateman plays it fairly straight, allowing the characters surrounding him to climb the wacky ladder. But Bateman’s Joel is very sympathetic, a key ingredient in Extract’s success.
Kunis and Wiig don’t bring anything unexpected to their roles, but they are both effective. Both give good performances, especially Wiig who uncorks a hilarious monologue near the end of the film. Koechner too is absolutely hilarious as the uncomfortable, unstoppable nosy neighbor. Also amusing are some clever musical clues in several key scenes, including a sequence where Dean and Joel smoke pot.
Mila Kunis in Extract
Overall, there are some funny moments in Extract, but just as many stretches without many jokes. The audience may feel the uncomfortable feelings felt by Joel, so this has a satisfying conclusion but the journey may not be all pleasant along the way. Nonetheless, Extract is well worth watching for the standout performances and unusual characters.
