The Promotion (2008)

Not for Me

Figuring the stars in the movie i thought this would be hilarious but FOR ME it just wasnt all that. I think Shean Scott and John Reilly ar every funny actors but this move just felt long and uncomfortable. To Me at least November 2, 2008

"My Grocery List Didn't Include Sexual Harassment, But Thanks" ...

Doug Stauber (Seann William Scott) and Richard Wehlner (John C. Reilly) find themselves competing for the same managerial position. Where most films would have one clearly likable character pitted against another nefarious one, this work takes no such short-cut. Herein resides the beauty of this piece. The Promotion is as much a drama as it is a comedy.

Just a short caveat: This is not your typical comedy, so the exposition may throw you off. Nonetheless, after the first ten minutes the film's playfulness begins to peek through ... and by the twenty-minute mark, the viewer is thoroughly engrossed. So, just let go of all assumptions and let Conrad (the director) guide your feelings.

At times, this piece is genuinely hysterical: the comment-cards, the shopping-cart gag, the parking-lot gangs ... all funny. At other times, it's deliberately uncomfortable: both men need this advancement, both men have families, both have our sympathies. The moments of tension are fairly intense. The betrayals are almost heart-crushing. But even in its darkest moments (there are a few), the viewer never wants to abandon the film. Its complexity is what makes this work so appealing!

Hey, I knew it was a great film when I heard Public Image Limited on the soundtrack (just had to say that). But it is the small details that add a touch of reality: the well-intended but entirely annoying neighbors (who play the banjo), the myopic supervisor (who thinks every minor infraction will bring-about the apocalypse), the sticker name-tags worn at company-retreats (though everyone knows each others' names), and the bizarre mantra that the customer is always right (even if they concuss you with a Yoo-Hoo bottle). No matter what your position in life, no matter what your career, you should find some slice of yourself here.

This is a very clever, surprisingly nuanced, and entirely relatable work. It was both strangely touching (Riley dancing in the vacant store was surprisingly painful) and yet comedic (the Teddy Grahams stalker seemed to turn into a demented "Where's Waldo"). Can you ask for more?

If you want to see Seann William Scott in a more mature, more challenging role, this film may be a good choice. (Who knew he had it in him??!!) I hope more of these complex roles come his way!

The closest film to which I can compare Conrad's The Promotion is Forster's Stranger Than Fiction. Though there isn't much one can call "existential" in this piece, there is a similar emotional dynamic. So, if you've ridden that particular roller-coaster and found it gratifying, you may enjoy this one.

P.S. This film made me reexamine my approach to comment-cards. It think I'm going to start peppering-in some expletives ... just for fun ... but only on the positive ones!! November 1, 2008

The Promotion

Very creative, a must see movie that tragically had limited theatrical distribution. John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott are terrific. Writer/director Steve Conrad is a rising star out there and this was a perfect first-film for him to direct. I bought it and have watched it three times already with different friends. October 3, 2008

Very, very funny.....

Funny, funny stuff!

Don't miss out on "The Promotion"! It never got alot of hype or press, but it is hilarious!

Two assistant managers in a supermarket are competing for the new manager spot at the new store! Seann William Scott (Stiffler - American Pie) and John C. Reilly (Cal Naughton Jr. - Talledega Nights) are awesome together in this movie.

The humor isn't the in your face kind, its the subtle humor that really makes the movie!

Alot of funny scenes throughout, watch this movie, you wont be disappointed! September 29, 2008

"Was I The Better Man?" ~ Dignity, Respect And Competition In The Workplace

With the likes of Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly leading the way ones initial response is this is going to be a great "guy film" filled with crazy, insane behavior and lots of scantily clad young ladies. If that's the evening you had in mind this is not the movie for you. The '08 film `The Promotion' is a rather wistful, slow moving story of the innate desire to succeed in the workplace yet remain true to who you are and what you want to believe about yourself. In other words it posits the question "Can you retain your self-respect and dignity while striving for upward mobility and financial security?"

Watching this rather unexpectedly low key film I found it somewhat disconcerting at times. Previously conditioned by other films I've seen with Scott and Riley I found myself anticipating something hilarious to occur and it simply never happens. When I finally came to the realization that this was to be something totally different for these two and attuned myself with the pace and theme as presented I discovered it was actually quite good though subdued. I guess that's my way of giving `The Promotion' a tentative approval.

Don't bother to invite the guys over for this one, save it for a quiet evening at home with the wife. September 23, 2008

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