Love Manager

the trailer led me to believe this would be a 'charming stalker' movie, and that's about it. but the story and characters are deeper and richer than that, their motivations are realized beautifully, and the conclusion, if not real-life, makes sense. remember the ending of 'annie hall' and Woody Allen's explanation for why we create works of art. so, this isn't, y'know, 'rules of the game' or anything, but it's nice to see Jennifer Aniston playing a real, live person, lonely, uptight, scared, and aspiring to be a good person. Steve Zahn has a hard job, making his character likable and a reasonable facsimile of a guy desperately in love, but without much grounding in why he's stuck on this woman, except it's sort of the closest thing he's got to having a shot, however remote and unattainable. the soundtrack features great songs, well- placed, from the new pornographers, and the supporting cast is really strong. not a Woody Harrelson fan, and he's a bit of a cartoon here, but the script covers him and as unlikely as it seems every step of the way, it works as a journey of two good, lonely people learning to lean on each other and taking risks that have no guarantees. in spite of having lots of opportunities to totally go off the tracks, the filmmakers manage to make it work start to finish.

Love the chemistry between Zahn and Aniston. This is such a simple story done well. The characters are so lovable and fun to watch. Definitely worth watching.

In watching this film I felt the same way I did when I first saw Kevin Costner's "Fandango". This is a quirky film with quirky characters you can't help but love. Steve Zahn plays the lead with a subtle sweetness and innocence only he can pull off. He's one of those people who don't seem to have that built in stop button which prevents them from doing something extreme, yet even at his most extreme, you never seem to be intimidated by him. His lonely maintenance man working for his parents at their run-down Arizona motel, meets up with an inhibited, attractive travelling sales woman who is clearly trying to find her identity, but is too afraid of taking a chance. Jennifer Anniston proves time and time again she can handle any role to come her way, and understands this character. What I thought would be a run of the mill romantic comedy, turns out to be a thoughtful character study with it's share of tender moments.

Sure if someone has hot as Jennifer Aniston were to offer you to touch their butt, I'm sure almost every male out there would jump at the chance of doing so without thinking twice. It's a no brainer offer, and a teaser of course to a larger, more sentimental story out there about the relentless pursuit of love, the romanticism attached to wanting to be with someone, without being consciously bogged by the harsh realities of life and survival. With affairs of the heart, to me at least it's a seizing of opportunities presented, rather than to adopt the wait and see approach.

The hook for the film, written and directed by Stephen Belber, is of course that much talked about scene between Aniston and Steve Zahn, the former being Sue, an art saleswoman who on a business trip had stayed at a motel, which Zahn's Mike is the night manager of his family's business. Smitten by none other than her buttocks, Mike crafts simple yet really strange excuses just to be close to Sue and talk to her, and the initial scenes which they share in her hotel room, is something that both actors brought out superbly – the awkwardness, the suspicions, and that hopeful look that something good might arise from all of the nonsense.

Thus began Mike's obsession with Sue when she allowed him that grace to fulfill a fantasy, and that translated to the borderline of stalking, where he dumps everything, and pursues her across state lines. Turning up at someone's workplace unannounced can have a very chilling effect, especially when one is only nothing more than an acquaintance and a one- nighter, to pass time and in an attempt to claw out of loneliness. After all, anything else is better than being holed up in your hotel room playing Solitaire on a computer.

Management is pretty much about the idealistic and pragmatic lenses that we wear from time to time in our view of romantic relationships. Here, it's a Mr Idealistic versus Ms Pragmatic in the approach. In Mike, we see someone with a hope of going beyond his comfort zone of his parents' business, in the pursuit of a romance that he only wishes to turn out positively. There's no plan, there's no ulterior motive, there's only the want to be with someone and spend time with her, pure and simple. Heck he doesn't even have enough money to begin with.

For Ms Pragmatic, it's all about the plan, where such a situation will lead to, Complications arrive through the introduction of her ex-boyfriend Jango (Woody Harrelson), an ex-punk band member who is now an established businessman. This means a nobody Mike is against a somebody Jango, and presents a choice for Sue to choose – the one for that undying romance, or the one who can pay the bills and allow her to continue hiding behind charitable causes to coast through life without spontaneity that the former may bring. It's a matter of love for genuine love of a person, or a love that is a matter of convenience and timing, which in itself is truly sad because you know that there's a compromise, which may not be for the better.

The film also went beyond the usual romantic elements, and tried successfully to insert other aspects of relationships such as family (Mike's Mom and Dad played by Margo Martindale and Fred Ward respectively), and friends. The role of Al (James Hiroyuki Liao) as Mike's best friend was curiously interesting as well, as here's an almost mirrored character in having a waiter working in his parents' restaurant business too. Despite being present only in the middle act, Al's role served as comedic fodder, and to catalyze that life changing idea for Mike in learning to let go, but never forgetting.

In many ways, the character of Mike had reminded me of a younger self where caution is thrown to the wind with the chasing of skirts, in the same way zoning on that singular tree while forsaking the forest, never mind the issues of incompatibility that loomed in the horizon. Not a very wise move of course on hindsight, but given the intoxicating passionate nature then, I suppose that was that. Naturally between then and now I had realized that there had been irreversible change in our characters probably, and the ones in the past vaguely seem like distant characters who only remotely resemble who they are now.

But Management somehow was more hopeful and optimistic in nature, and I suppose that suited the movie just fine, bringing you through the stages of passionate infatuation to love through the power of naive sincerity. With an excellent selection of songs in its soundtrack, Management may just end up as a surprise when I compile my top 10 list for the year. For those who are looking for that little extra in a romantic comedy, then Management may just be that little gem which will set you thinking.

Steve Zahn plays Mike, a night manager at the motel his parents run. Mike is a typical case of arrested development. He has no friends,no girlfriend & potentially no future. All of this changes when an art dealer (Jennifer Aniston)checks into the motel on a business trip. He falls head over heels in love with her,to the point of stalking her across the country. The mere fact that she is engaged to be married to an ex-punk rocker doesn't sway Mike from his mission. This is a nicely played film about casting off the superficial and moving ahead. Woody Harrelson has some nice,but too brief screen time as the proto psycho boyfriend. First time director,Steven Belber directs from his own screenplay that mixes comedy & drama with a nice touch of quirkiness, and even manages to toss in a bit of eastern philosophy for good measure. Steve Zahn is a likable chap who just wants from life what everybody else wants. Jennifer Aniston is (as usual)Jennifer Aniston. This is a hold over film from last year that is just now getting some distribution (mainly to art houses). You could do a lot worse than this. Rated 'R' by the MPAA for some salty language & adult situations.