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There are two scenes in this film that I would nominate in the Mofo Film Awards for 2019. Funniest Scene and Most Memorable Scene. I won't give away the most memorable scene because it correlates to my reasoning for this movie being the biggest WTF movie of the year for me. The funniest scene had me laughing for a good 5 minutes after the scene concluded. Sorry To Bother You is weird, it's so weird I don't even know how to process it. Yet here I am with a film that is probably going to make my top ten of the year.
Cassius "Cash" Green lives in his uncle's garage with his girlfriend. He needs a job desperately to be able to move out, afford nice things and seem interesting to her. He gets a job at a telemarketing company but is having trouble making sales. A kindly old man next to him tells him it's because he sounds too black and he needs to put on his 'white guy' voice to sound more appealing. Before he knows it, Cash is moving up the corporate ladder. The more money that flows in, the less he is of his former self. Alienating friends and lovers alike.
Boots Riley, in his directorial debut, shows precision and craft in his camerawork. He even manages to make simple telephone calls visually interesting and funny. This doesn't feel like a first-time director's film. He has a lot to say and he manages to tackle a variety of topics within this film; black vs white, slavery, capitalist greed, etc. Even though he has a lot to juggle here, none of it gets lost or jumbled. Sorry To Bother You is clear in what it wants to say. It laughs in the face of a three-act structure and screams at you in a unique voice. I haven't seen a movie like this all year and that's a good thing.
The comedy is obtuse to say the least. It's not your typical slapstick or parody film. It's something else. There are so many weird moments that suck the reality out of you that you question what you're watching with every scene. It helps that a strong cast is able to make the events of this film seem somewhat plausible. Lakeith Stanfield plays Cash, he was the poor chap at the beginning of Get Out. He's really good here playing the dilemma of trying to "Stay Black" while the struggle of "selling out" hangs over his head. Tessa Thompson plays his girlfriend, a free spirited artist. She seems to be popping up everywhere now and does a good job with an underwritten role. Two stars that are really great but you never see are David Cross and Patton Oswalt, they are the "white-guy" voices that you hear in the movie. Off putting at first, but hilarious as the movie goes on.
Sorry To Bother You is great satire and from someone who I expect will have a promising career. Embrace the oddities it presents to you and enjoy the absurd.
Sorry To Bother You
There are two scenes in this film that I would nominate in the Mofo Film Awards for 2019. Funniest Scene and Most Memorable Scene. I won't give away the most memorable scene because it correlates to my reasoning for this movie being the biggest WTF movie of the year for me. The funniest scene had me laughing for a good 5 minutes after the scene concluded. Sorry To Bother You is weird, it's so weird I don't even know how to process it. Yet here I am with a film that is probably going to make my top ten of the year.
Cassius "Cash" Green lives in his uncle's garage with his girlfriend. He needs a job desperately to be able to move out, afford nice things and seem interesting to her. He gets a job at a telemarketing company but is having trouble making sales. A kindly old man next to him tells him it's because he sounds too black and he needs to put on his 'white guy' voice to sound more appealing. Before he knows it, Cash is moving up the corporate ladder. The more money that flows in, the less he is of his former self. Alienating friends and lovers alike.
Boots Riley, in his directorial debut, shows precision and craft in his camerawork. He even manages to make simple telephone calls visually interesting and funny. This doesn't feel like a first-time director's film. He has a lot to say and he manages to tackle a variety of topics within this film; black vs white, slavery, capitalist greed, etc. Even though he has a lot to juggle here, none of it gets lost or jumbled. Sorry To Bother You is clear in what it wants to say. It laughs in the face of a three-act structure and screams at you in a unique voice. I haven't seen a movie like this all year and that's a good thing.
The comedy is obtuse to say the least. It's not your typical slapstick or parody film. It's something else. There are so many weird moments that suck the reality out of you that you question what you're watching with every scene. It helps that a strong cast is able to make the events of this film seem somewhat plausible. Lakeith Stanfield plays Cash, he was the poor chap at the beginning of Get Out. He's really good here playing the dilemma of trying to "Stay Black" while the struggle of "selling out" hangs over his head. Tessa Thompson plays his girlfriend, a free spirited artist. She seems to be popping up everywhere now and does a good job with an underwritten role. Two stars that are really great but you never see are David Cross and Patton Oswalt, they are the "white-guy" voices that you hear in the movie. Off putting at first, but hilarious as the movie goes on.
Sorry To Bother You is great satire and from someone who I expect will have a promising career. Embrace the oddities it presents to you and enjoy the absurd.