Synopsis: In Extract, Joel, the owner of an extract plant, is just about to sell the business for profit when a freak workplace accident turns everything upside down.
Release Date: September 4, 2009 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Comedy, Dark Comedy
Film Review
Production
Welcome to the workplace, enjoy your 90-minute stay…or not. Many of us go to the movies to escape from our reality. Extract offers little escape. Set in a suburban factory it is full of the archetype personalities you find every day in your own world and some you hope to never encounter. There are multiple storylines and the unfortunate result is that they never fully come together in the end as planned. Perhaps that is the point, for when dealing with life nothing ever fits together perfectly into a little box. Then again, Extract is a movie, and cohesiveness is always something desired and needed. Regardless, you may be laughing throughout Extract even if the end result leaves something to be desired.
Acting
Extract is full of character actors and those you will know from their star status. With all of the performances, from the likes of Jason Bateman, Kristin Wiig, and Mila Kunis, there are two smaller supporting performances that stand out from the rest. From the first moment Ben Affleck comes on the screen, his character cannot soon be forgotten. As the (loser) bartender Dean, and best friend of Jason Bateman’s Joel, he offers a greatly needed level of ridiculousness to offset the seriousness of Joel and his life predicaments. The timing in which he delivers his lines is shear perfection and the level of commitment Affleck shows to this character is beyond expectations. He is in no way a friend who guides you on the right path. His solutions to problems, and the ways in which he causes trouble in the form of what he believes to be helpful advice is seemingly atrocious. But you love him for it, and his little pill box.
On the other end of the spectrum is Brad, played by David Koechner. He is undeniably funny, annoying, and downright frustrating – and it works. As the neighbor who ‘stalks in the bushes’ waiting to pounce on Joel every time he comes home, Brad is a sort of arch nemesis. Dealing with him makes sticking hot needles in your eyes feel like a vacation. Thanks to him, much of the comedy in Extract exists and without this character, the reality of life’s little annoyances that is so prominent throughout Extract would be lost. Brad just may be the one character, and storyline, in this movie you remember forever and pray that you never encounter.
Comedy Factor
Comedy that stems from real life is either absurdly funny or it hits so close to home the laughter generated is uncomfortable. Extract blends the two together. You may not laugh at every joke or every scene, and you may laugh uncontrollably at something the entire rest of the theater does not see or feel. It is all relative to your own history, experiences, and encounters with people both at work and at home. Do not expect to be guided into a joke, it will not happen in Extract. You just have to roll with the story and the characters and wait for that moment something hilarious comes out of nowhere, just like in real life.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Mike Judge
- Screenwriter: Mike Judge
- Cast: Mila Kunis (Cindy), Jason Bateman (Joel), Ben Affleck (Dean), Kristen Wiig (Suzie), David Koechner (Brad)
- Editor: Julia Wong
- Cinematographer: Tim Suhrstedt
- Production Designer(s): Maher Ahmad
- Country Of Origin: USA
