j* movie reviews 2020

Like a Boss (2020)

It's simple, it's honest, and funny as all f*ck.

Here's the thing. In an arms race of clever and witty and fast paced films, a lot of things get lost. This film finds those things. It finds a simple and effective storyline, and sticks with it. There's not extra story, no B-story, no twists. It doesn't waste time dragging out any part of the story that you know is inevitable. It has one excellent theme: humans need the other humans who make them feel great.

By simplifying and dropping the "act," Like A Boss finds the space that audiences need to laugh. It gives breathing space to let everyone chortle, snicker and guffaw. It gives time for gags to be used fully, rather than intellectualised as merely "funny ideas." It gives the characters time to use their hilarious facials, or not as the case may be. It takes normal characters, then cranks them a bit towards "overdone" to let them be fully funny. What does that mean? They let the characters be a bit more who they imagine they will be, rather than who they are in society. They're fractionally cartoon.

The casting of funny women (and a couple of token guys) is excellent. Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne and Salma Hayek are hilarious queens. Their embodied, physical comedy is great. The pacing of this movie, as previously mentioned, let's you really revel in timing, of looks, lip twitches, eyebrow lifts. As a bonus, you also get an unlisted cameo by Lisa Kudrow (who has a great Phoebe-from-Friends line). Jennifer Coolridge, who is such a solid comedy actress in her form (probably best known for Two Broke Girls?) is in the mix to deliver her own style too.

The audience we saw it with was mostly women, and a fair few "girl gang" movie night clusters. There was a lot more communal laughing than is experienced in a lot of cinema comedy. I think this was the "it's funny because it's true" and the "it's funny because it's you" vibes. Everyone who has chosen to see this film will see some aspect of themselves in here, somewhere. It's obviously pitched as a chick-flick comedy, it's about a makeup business, it's clear it's got some gross-out comedy moments centred on women's experiences.

Is there something for men? Maybe #notallmen. But the two I was with laughed as much, if not more than me. And, get this, spoke quite glowingly of the male character who is just a f*ck-buddy toy-boy of one of our main gals. If the himbo* works for guys and gals, then I think it probably works.

Watch the NSFW trailer. If you like it and laugh at some of it, you'll probably like it. It's what it says on the box: a simple shake'n'bake cake, and so long as it's your flavour it's bloody delicious.

And moist.

J* gives it 4 stars.

*It's not really fair to call him a himbo. He isn't stupid, he's clearly got his entirely own life. He's objectified but only whilst he's aware of it and in the room and doesn't seem to mind.