All I knew going into Sorry to Bother You is that a black
telemarketer starts using a “white voice” to become a hotshot salesman. Sounded
funny enough as a gag. It’s probably for the best that it was the only thing I
knew about the movie, and it’s probably the only thing you need to know going
in. That and the fact that it’s amazing.
Sorry to Bother You is the story of Cassuis Green (Get Out’s
Lakeith Stanfield), a down on his luck loser who shoots up the corporate ladder,
from encyclopedia salesman to mythical “Power Caller”, through a set of
increasingly surreal feats of salesmanship. It’s worth noting that this film is
pretty surreal in general, and isn’t afraid to bend the rules of reality
(frequently) to crack a joke or make a point, so it’s worth it to go in with an
open mind and roll with whatever happens (trust me, you’ll enjoy it more
that way). If you’re into comparisons, think Office Space meets Synecdoche NewYork, though arguably funnier than the former and less depressing than the
latter. Another way to think about it is it’s like a really good episode of
BoJack Horseman or South Park.
Credit goes to writer/director/musician Boots Riley for
putting together this wild, weird, and exceedingly clever ride. It’s a Charlie
Kaufman-esque dream of a film that entwines politics, pop-culture, and
economics in a broad and sweeping satire. Riley creates an excellent sense of
atmosphere from the first set of scenes and escalates everything as he goes. The
film starts feeling slightly off kilter before slowly transforming into a wild
comedic fantasy, a grotesque cracked-mirror reflection of the world we live in.
There are great performances across the board, from the lead and especially
from secondary players like Armie Hammer, Tessa Thompson, and the many voice
cameos.
I’ve probably said too much already. This movie is great. I
laughed my ass off. Go see it.
Rating: Shiny and Chrome
~G
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