I don’t see many movies these days, but I had to go see The Promotion, billed as a satiric comedy about the contemporary workplace.
I went with a friend who’s been out of the corporate world awhile, as well as her college-age son — a movie buff and will go see just about anything. Despite our varying perspectives, we all enjoyed the movie. I found myself laughing out loud in some spots.
But it’s not a slapstick comedy and it’s not really bitter satire either. The movie does raise issues related to age, desperation, and meaningless rules. And it was hard not to empathize with both contenders.
In his New York Times review, Stephen Holden wrote, “But the movie’s whimsy is undercut by its portrayal of the contemporary workplace as a cheerless corporate boot camp overseen by a grim board of directors that is as stern and vigilant as a military tribunal.”
Well, aren’t some workplaces just like that?
I was hoping to gain some great insights for my Special Report on performance reviews. Instead, I found myself thinking, “Why don’t these smart guys start their own Internet business on the weekend?”