Extract Movie Review: Jason Bateman is “That Guy”

by jessicagottlieb

Mike Judge’s latest movie Extract has just a whiff of Beavis and Butthead, and that’s good. Joel Reynolds (Jason Bateman) is the straight man for the comedy occurring all around him. Joel’s wife Suzie (Kristen Wiig)  closes up shop with a final tug to her sweatpants every evening at exactly 8pm, Joel is the saddest man in his too expensive planned community. He is living in a sexless marriage and driving the most expensive car in a dull town.

Joel wants sex with Cindy the con artist (Mila Kunis). Unfortunately Joel doesn’t know Cindy is a con artist, and even more unfortunately Joel is friends with Dean the Bartender (Ben Affleck) who hatches a boozy plan wherein a gigolo is hired to seduce Suzie.

Extract is wildly entertaining. There is crass humor but it’s never uncomfortable. When Joel and Dean go to a friend’s apartment I was laughing so hard my sides ached and tears came to my eyes. The wardrobe is phenomenal, there’s the neighbor Nathan (David Koechner) and his Mom Jeans that were comedic genius.

Almost everything about Extract was just right. It was funny, but not in your face. The jokes were clever without being jokey and silly. The director respected the audience enough to give you some sublety. Thank you for that.

Ben Affleck was a bit of a headscratcher for me. I found his character funny, but his dazzling white teeth had me thinking Entourage and not Bartender in NoWhereVille. I am admittedly easily distracted by over white teeth and botox. It didn’t ruin the movie for me, but I like to leave Hollywood behind for ninety minutes.

Brian (J.K. Simmons) is Joel’s number two at the Extract Factory. He is every reason I am unemployed. With some luck, no great skill and horrendous interpersonal interactions, Brian manages people. I recognized him instantly as “that guy”, but you don’t know his name, and you can’t recall exactly which movie he was in because he is quite simply his character. Sublimely funny and dressed to perfection, Brian is one of the supporting characters that make this show such a win.

The women of Extract were amazing. Mila Kunis as a thief and master manipulator is spectacular, Kristen Wiig is living every woman’s worst nightmare right down to the French Tip Manicure (who has time for that?), and Beth Grant is perfection as Mary whose job seems to be pressing a button.

It’s possible that I walked into Extract as a fan of Jason Bateman and wanted to love the movie. The plot is good but unremarkable; however, the characters are stupendous. I’m always saying that we don’t want to see people just like us on TV or in movies. Perhaps I was wrong? With a cast like Extract, perhaps we do want to see people just like us in the movies, because the people just like us were absolutely hysterical.

Extract is rated R and comes to theaters Friday, September 4th.