Corner Office

Based on a book, 'The Room' by Swedish author Jonas Karlsson, a dark comedy.

I never found it boring in the least. It depends on your preconceptions going into it I guess? You experience it almost entirely in the head of the protagonist, and his internal monologue. The lead plays this to perfection, though I found myself envisioning Steve Carrell in the role! Its certainly not a thriller, in fact, like (I guess) a typical corporate office environment, its mundane, stifling, repetitive.

So why did I like it? It has you guessing, does the room exist? It has you thinking, why is this man like this? Have I known someone like this, and how did I, and others treat them?

The acting and direction are excellent, you buy into all of the characters as ordinary everyday types. The cinematography and soundtrack are faultless, there is nothing to distract you from the monologue. Its 1 hour 41 minutes occupying the head of a troubled individual, who's increasingly fractious interactions with his fellow workers provides drama and interest enough to keep it interesting.

A tale of absurdity, distance, disaffection and solace "Corner Office" is a glimpse at the comfort people seek through the compartmentalized isolation of the modern corporate world. Orson is an employee in a typical office. Tall, spectacled, withdrawn and strangely inscrutable he's the bonafide oddball who elicits immediate amusement. When he takes constant visits to "The Room", a place situated between the office and the toilet coworkers and the boss react predictably leading to some tense moments considering it's only Orson who believes the room exists. With his brushed-down hair, glasses, moustache, stare from below, slightly bloated features and articulate monotone Jon Hamm's neurotic nerve-wracked Orson is the star of the show as he steals every scene embodying the surreal singularity of this modern day Bartleby. Like most offbeat films there are parts that drag but to viewers with a taste for the different this is well worth the view. A reflective portrayal of alienation in an age of indifference, negativity and self-centeredness "Corner Office" is a dark comedic gaze at society and the comfort zone people desperately seek to survive, whether it exists or not.

Although I am not a professional reviewer, I genuinely enjoyed watching the movie. It does have its flaws, such as being slow-paced and lacking variety and originality. However, what captivated me was the way it depicted real-life workplace dynamics and the relatable gestures it made towards our needs in that setting. As the movie progresses, you become invested in Orson's character and desperately want to believe in him. I must mention that my initial motivation for watching the movie was Jon Hamm, as I admire his acting style, and I was certainly not disappointed. He truly shines in this film, with his absurd humor serving as the driving force behind its entertainment value. His character consistently holds enough strength and charisma to keep you engaged throughout. Additionally, I appreciated the cinematography and editing, as they effectively conveyed the psychological aspects of the story within the confined space of the film. While there may be other similar movies out there, none have managed to capture my interest quite like this one. In my opinion, it is a highly underrated gem.

In off-centre, dark dramedy "Corner Office" (adapted by Ted Cupper from Jonas Karlsson's book 'The Room') Jon Hamm (always strong) is a new employee (under Christopher Heyerdahl alongside the likes of Danny Pudi & Allison Riley (with Sarah Gafon in support)) at a dull, grey, monolithic corporation, which tho contempory feels backwards & Seventies (in a "Wristcutters: A Love Story" stylee). Told from Hamm's perspective it's soon clear he's mentally ill, imagining for example the plush titular office (which no-one else can see) where he gathers his thoughts. Joachim Back delivers a quirkily interesting film in distinctive style... but it won't be to everyone's taste.

A great movie.

It really had my attention from the very start until the last moment and it left me wondering. Just the type of movie that I enjoy the most. It was intriguing and it kept me guessing, it was a journey.

I see how some people wouldn't like the experience, you have to have a certain mood to like this one, you have to be ready to dive in. It's not a type of movie you would watch with your friends or even family, I guess. After all, it is about loneliness some might say...

It is mostly grey, calm, monotonous, it demands focus and commitment, it is like a study in a way, and most people, won't find that entertaining.

Now for the good stuff, first of all, how good it was artistically! First it catches your eye with that cold concreate, the office, perfect shapes, yet then you hear the soft voice. And then the room - warm and comfy like the voice, because the voice comes from the room from the very start, doesn't it?! It is perfectly executed visually, I'd say. The atmosphere is on point.

The lead is perfectly executed, as well as the manager, but I do feel like other side characters were a bit lackluster and it could've made it better if they were explored and developed a bit more.

One thing that I noticed is that it might be hard to correctly explore the feelings of the protagonist here, it could be hard to back his decisions, as he doesn't seem to be a good guy overall, being egotistic, narcissistic and self-absorbed as he is. All the other characters seem quite flawed too, although quite more simply displayed. It is almost like they are all a puzzle that might fit together to show a picture, yet not really good on their own.

Apart from the obvious exploration of the psychology it's hard to pin point what this movie is really about. First thing that came to my mind was art. To me the protagonist looked like an artist - he had a vision and a way to execute it, it was genius as it was there in plain sight for him and it had great value, yet no one else could see it, until the fruit of it came out. He wanted the admiration, yet he also wanted to keep the fruit all to himself. Eventually it looks like he just wanted peace of mind and understanding. But then he got tangled in the admiration and fruit, and people wanting the process for their gain and fruit as a simple currency. Eventually understanding became to be not an option, so he resorted to the last thing he got left - himself.

It could also very well be the other way around, since the character is so egoistic, I could assume the whole story is about people being so self-absorbed by their own good work and talent, demanding privacy and comfort, ignoring the fact that being good at certain tasks doesn't automatically allow you to ignore morality and other people and just ignore the society overall, just because you yourself decided that. I mean, it sits well with current state of things in modern world, where people are so obsessed with themselves, like everyone is a star in their own movie, all those social networks, steamers, vlogs, etc. People do seem obsessed with themselves a lot nowadays and they sure do seem to think this makes them entitled to make unreasonable demands. Does it really mean, if you have a talent (or even not), you suddenly become entitled to make unreasonable demands, based on something that is real only for you?!

I mean, as you see this movie brings some thoughts up. I liked it.