Extract
Mike Judge’s forte has always been finding the beauty and absurdity in simple, regular folk. From Beavis & Butthead through Idiocracy, and of course cult favorite Office Space, Judge pokes at the stupid things that well-intentioned people can do, and the petty evils we all visit upon each other just trying to get by. Extract’s hero fits neatly into this mold.
Jason Bateman is the owner of an extract factory; he’s disenchanted with the business, his marriage to the sublime Kristen Wiig, pretty much everything. Thanks to his friend Dean (played with a wondrous touch by Ben Affleck), Bateman starts making a series of mistakes that puts it all at risk. His shame spiral is exacerbated by petty crook Mila Kunis, who inserts herself just where she can do the most damage. This already funny cast is increased by the awesome J.K. Simmons, the dooftastic Dustin Milligan, and career jackhole David Koechner. Clifton Collins, who last warmed my heart in Sunshine Cleaning, plays his imperious warehouse worker so straight, he (wisely) sacrifices easy stereotype funny for sympathetic. All these comedy powerhouses (and the lesser-known faces in the film) take this script and squeeze every last drop of potential out of it. Wiig and Bateman have a great stale marriage chemistry that you still root for as they continually misread each other. Simmons plays a version of his stock exasperated character, but seriously, that guy can do no wrong.
Despite the huge farcical situations and comedy genius cast, Extract is not so much riproarious as thoughtful and true – not unlike Judge’s animated series King of the Hill. Affleck is the disjointed voice of reason, unless you really think about what he’s saying. I haven’t enjoyed Affleck this much since Shakespeare in Love, he’s excellent here. Koechner is abrasively guileless and so familiar in his style of annoying. Wiig is, like Bateman, playing straight man to the situations, but both their performances are clever and funny and real. Extract has plenty of laughs, but largely it has a story that makes you shake your head in wry appreciation of the humanity of it all. It’s really character driven, though there are two and a half plot lines twisting through these people.
I really enjoyed it, but it’s not a split your sides and snort your soda kind of comedy, not even as much as Office Space. It’s a very well-written and well-performed example of Mike Judge’s insight into the human condition, and the vagaries of suburban boredom and crisis, and will be a very enjoyable rental with snacks for you later. Maybe Judge’s work is just better on the small screen, which is not a crime. Whatever the case, I am very glad he can make real characters we can care about and still make us laugh. Check it out.
MPAA Rating R-language, sexual reference & some drug use
Release date 9/4/09
Time in minutes 91
Director Mike Judge
Studio Miramax
