“Employee of the Month” (Lionsgate)
LOSER OF THE WEEK
In a week littered with holdovers of “Jackass 2” and the opening of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Prequel” a nice romantic comedy named “Employee of the Month” looked to be a pleasant diversion. Well so much for that thought! The comedy turned out to be a boring endurance test of how long Jessica Simpson could hold one single expression. Her face was frozen the entire length of the film and I don’t think she could blame it on Botox.
Simpson plays a cashier named Amy at the Super Club store. Also working there are another checker named Vince (Dax Shepard) and a boxboy named Zack (Dane Cook). Both are bowled over by Amy’s good looks and frozen goofy smile. Rumor has it that Amy is only interested in “Employee of the Month” winners. Vince has held this title for many months but Amy’s smile inspires Zack to get into the competition.
There you have the plot of this movie – a boxboy and a checker duke it out for the title of “Employee of the Month” to win the favor of a girl named Amy. If that doesn’t sound like an episode of a sitcom nothing does.
The problem with the movie is that nothing about this contest is interesting. Even bringing in Zack’s buddies Lon (Andy Dick), Igbal (Brian George) and Russell (Harland Williams) doesn’t liven things up. They are as deadly boring as Vince and Zack.
The romance in the film is non-existent. Amy is supposed to be an average girl, not a blonde dingbat which is the way Simpson plays her. Zack is supposed to win us over as he moves from boxboy to checker. Doesn’t happen. And Vince is supposed to be the villain whose comeuppance we cheer. Wrong again.
It also doesn’t help that the humor takes a decidedly crude turn in a desperate attempt to be funny. Profanity is thrown in and sexual innuendoes are tossed about. That only hurts the film, not helps.
Then there is Simpson. Her career is falling faster than the temperature at the North Pole. She is a beautiful woman but her talent as an actress is less than zero. With so many talented young women trying to get roles in movies these days, why does this proven non-actress still get parts
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and sexual innuendoes.
“Employee of the Month” is a jokeless exercise in moviemaking. Let the makers of this movie know you want something better and stay away from this fiasco.
I scored “Employee of the Month” a loser of the week 3 out of 10.
