User reviews

This movie is really pretty damn good right up until the last 10 minutes where we really spin out into ridiculous attempts to tie up every single plot string in under 10 minutes. The pace at which all the story lines come to an end is jarring to say the least and very unrealistic, improbable and - a gyp.

But I would recommend this movie because right up until that point it's a fun ride with great chemistry and casting of all the players. Dillon is a bank employee hoping for a raise on his upcoming review and looking forward to marrying his live-in girlfriend. This feels like an indie film but it's a bit too clever clever for it's own good.

Steve Zahn has some really awesome moments in this movie when he is ripping on everyone within talking distance of his character. His delivery was perfect. You will notice one of the actors from Kids in The Hall fame- his part matches what he is good at, that was an excellent casting choice as well.

So even though the script fumbles at the end, all the other parts of the movie work well.

David Walsh (Matt Dillon) has a perfect life: a gorgeous fiancée, Sarah Goodwin (Christina Applegate); a beautiful house; a fancy car; a job of manager in a bank. On the day he expects to be elected "The Employee of the Month", he is fired; Sarah finds that he had an affair with his colleague Wendy (Andrea Bendwald) and calls off their engagement; and a hooker sent by his friend Jack (Steve Zahn) to stay with him in a motel steals his car. On the next day, in his farewell, there is a heist in the bank and he is abducted. But his fate before reaching Nirvana has not finished yet.

While watching "Employee of the Month", I was feeling the story very unpleasant, mostly because of the disgusting character of Jack, and also because of the jinx of David. But suddenly, the story twists with an outrageous and surprising plot point, becoming the perfect bad day of David a masterpiece of black comedy. When I first saw Matt Dillon partially burnt in the beginning of the movie, I believed the actor had had some accident, and only later it was disclosed that the scars were part of his character. The unknown Andrea Bendwald is really a very beautiful woman and has an important participation in the conclusion of the story, inclusive along the credits. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Dia Perfeito" ("The Perfect Day")

The film has its moments. It's got a rather nice plot. It's first-person commentary is interesting. Matt Dillon and Christina Applegate have both done quite well. The sequence before the bank robbery was very stylish and funny. It's sound editing is perhaps below average but the music is okay.

It's got endless plot twists in the end. After the first major twist I said to myself "Well, that's clever..." and after the second I was like "Wow! never saw this coming" and the twists continued on to a point where I got rather irritated. Plot twists are supposed to offer surprise elements in a story to see it from an entirely different point of view. But in this film, surprise is stripped off.

What a surprise! I can't figure out why I had not heard or read anything about this movie when it came out, because it was great. The whole thing was completely unexpected and had a sense of humor about itself, almost being a kind of self-parody. The characters were well fleshed out and the story took such surprising and hilarious turns. This is a movie I could watch many times and will definitely recommend it to friends. I won't say anything about the plot because part of the reason its so much fun is because its so unexpected. But instead of resorting to cheap unnecessary plot contrivances for the twists and turns(like Fight Club, for example!), it actually does have continuity, and we get the joke. Its just too bad this film didn't get more attention and advertising!

Beyond that point, it's Wild Things.

This is a fantastic flick with incredible acting on all fronts. . .for the first hour and 28 minutes. Beyond that, it's an all-out race to the bottom. From a tale of a man breaking down in the style of Falling Down - with an acting prowess nearly equal to that of Michael Douglas - it becomes a tale of who can screw who the most. Within the span of three minutes, these characters change themselves from tortured souls dealing with life's unfairness into caricatures of every gang-crime movie that had the bad sense to be put on film. Either the writer for the first ninety five percent of the film was fired, or suffered a psychotic breakdown. We placed this movie on our Netflix queue by mistake (meant to request the more recent Dane Cook flick - never you mind what that says about our cinematic tastes) and were pleasantly surprised. . .right up until the end.

I found this movie to be very intriguing and engaging. The story about a man whose seemingly perfect life is turned upside down in one day had my attention from the beginning. The more the story developed (especially the conversation between David and the prostitute in the motel room) the more I began to feel for the main character. I found myself feeling sorry for what he went through and pulling for him to turn it around only to discover that it was all a stunt, a "cover job" if you will.

The surprising plot at the end of the movie is unexpected and is sure to raise some eyebrows on how the movie ends. Jack, although vulgar and offensive, is an amazing character and Steve Zahn did a wonderful performance portraying him.

I wasn't expecting too much with this one, but was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great to see a movie go in a direction that is not expected, and if anyone tells you this movie is predictable, they are more than likely lying. Matt Dillon has turned into a solid actor these days, without being the marquee attraction of some lesser actors.

Applegate and Zahn also add some weight to the movie, and a must see confrontation with the boss is a highlight (who wouldn't want to do that). Highly recommended, if not at the cinema it will make a great Sunday night in on DVD!

A fascinating film. Aomething of a fascinating quality in the way that it is genuinely unpredictable. It doesn't succumb to any simple stereotypes that come to my mind, is hard to place into any genre, but I'd almost have to suggest American Art-house somehow. A blend of the Hollywood with the experimentally unusual.

It keeps you hanging in there the whole way wondering what the hell is going on, and by the end of it you're still wondering ... not that the ending is ambiguous or mysterious, it's just anything but what you'd have expected and just barely plausible enough that you find it worth thinking about how and when and if it is indeed halfway plausible and just who is actually using whom when, and how and how long this whole scheme of things had been going on - clearly from the very first scene, but before that even ...

Has to be one of the better films I've seen recently! I can't really understand why I'd never heard of it before ...

A huge snowstorm was predicted in my area, and the line at the video store was ridiculously long. While waiting to get to the checkout counter, I picked up this DVD and read the description. The woman in front of me said, "That's a very funny movie. I loved it." So, of course, I rented it.

What a disappointment. I didn't laugh once. There were plenty of scenes that were downright offensive -- such as the coroner stealing jewelry from accident victims -- while adding nothing to the plot. It seems like no one could decide if this was supposed to be a comedy, a crime caper or a drama. No matter which one you were expecting, it didn't deliver.

And yeah, you didn't see the ending coming, so what. This movie was so bad that the actors should consider themselves fortunate that I even stayed around to SEE the ending. More than once, I was tempted to turn it off.

I agree with the previous comment. Anyone who compared this movie to "Office Space" must never have seen "Office Space." They're different in hundreds of ways, but most importantly, "Office Space" was worth seeing.

Overall, it would have been more interesting to just watch the snowstorm out the window. It arrived just when the weatherman said it would, and it did not disappoint.

Sunday night I was at a friends house playing cards, he popped in a movie he rented, none of us had ever heard of it, he said he got it because on the box it mentioned something about being 'from the producers of Strangers with Candy' & we're all fans of that darkly-odd kind of humor. It was kinda funny, in-fact really funny in some parts. I read that one reviewer here was 'dissapointed' but I think that's because he was told (ie: expecting) it to be more like 'Office Space'. I wouldn't compare it to that, except that it's about a guy who just stops caring about his job & his life starts to unravel. To me it was more like 'Saving Silverman' or 'One night at Mcools', but it was allowed to be a bit more 'Suicide Kings'-like in its gritty darkness mixed with humor. ( Some people don't like it when a movie makes a sharp-cut from surreal & silly humor to dark & gritty violence in the span of a few beats, but I think its fine, I *like that* I think it keeps the viewer's attention when it takes quick unexpected turns like that, but thats just me.) The only person from Strangers with Candy that I recognized was Stu ( the guy who has a beef ) but aside from wanting to see more SWC cast or writers, I enjoyed it & will rent it again and show it to others who like that kind of cynical-humor.

Matt Dillion was great in this, as he was in 'drugstore cowboy' 'mcools' & 'to die for'...his voice-over narration really set the tone for the whole story that was being told.

I found this movie to be very watchable and entertaining, but certainly wouldn't bill it as a comedy, and I don't think that's how it was intended. Parts are mildly amusing, but there's more suspense and drama than anything else.

The ending contains some twists and turns that you probably won't see coming, but won't be completely surprised at either. Don't immediately turn it off at what you believe to be the end, or you'll miss some of the missing pieces.

Some users have commented about the level of violence in this film, but I can't recall any particularly gruesome scenes. Perhaps I've been conditioned by the likes of films such as "Irreversible" and "Goodfellas".

Anyway, I think you'll find this a worthwhile rental. If not, please blame one of the other positive reviews, as I have a very delicate psyche.

Bill

This is a great movie. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the plot twists. And just around the middle of it you think, oh, now I know, this is going in this vein, but no ... another twist. And when you think that this is finally heading to a happy end .. you are being surprised again .. but not final time. The final surprise is going to await you just few mins before the end of the movie. I enjoyed the film quite a lot, the dialogues are entertaining and the plot is far from ordinary.

Matt Dillon is doing perfect job in this movie, and watch for Steve Zahn's comments. And, btw, you will never look at coroners the same way after watching this.

This is not a kind of movie you will tell your grandchildren about, but it will provide for a great weekend amusement and will give you great topic to dash with in the canteen when having a break. Especially works when working in a bank.

In "Employee of the Month" a happily married, nice guy, dedicated bank worker (Dillon) has the worst day of his life. He's fired at the office and fired at home. Then, as the film appears to be taking you into another "postal" plot (think Michael Douglas in "Falling Down"), it does a U-turn and serves up a bunch of peculiar twists and turns before dying a slow death. A like it or hate it dark comedy with raunchy humor (think really bad Kevin Smith), "Employee of the Month" has its moments, most of which come from Dillon playing straight man to his grosser than gross buddy, Steve Zahn. However, those who have invested themselves in the characters will likely be annoyed by the last 20 minutes when the plot sorts itself out in what comes off like just so many brain farts. Largely overlooked by the critics with a poor reception by the public, this little flick will play best with younger and less sophisticated adult audiences. (C+)

This is a crummy film, a pretender to a genre of surprise ending movies. And a genre that has been done so much better before. The plot limps along, with a predictable ending. (Yawn) The characters are unlikeable, and some are so unlikeable they are almost unwatchable. Matt Dillon, a fine, intense actor is totally miscast here and is stiff and mannered. The others are forgettable. Much of the dialog is sophomoric, again a pretender trying to be witty. I wouldn't hire the screenwriter to write my grocery list. Yes, it's that bad, veering from misogynistic to just plain gross, as in beyond frat-house gross. With so much real talent out there, I'm really surprised this movie ever got made. It shows the total lack of imagination of the office suits...

David Walsh (Matt Dillon) is a banking officer, who's life seems to go terribly wrong when his job review sandbags him and instead of being made employee of the month, he's fired. To make matters worst after work his fiancée, Sara Goodwin (Christina Applegate) confronts him with his infidelity, ends their relationship and tosses him out on the street. How could things get any worse (or better)? His friend Jack seems to think things are finally moving in the right direction, all David needs now is a night of drinking, a handgun, and he'll be ready for some payback, unless a bank robbery interferes with his plans.

The acting is very good, and in some scenes great, with Steve Zahn (Jack) stealing most of the scenes he's in. Peter Jason is also outstanding as Mr. Gartin the tough Bank VP. The humour is very black, and the dialog well written. From the opening scene and repeatedly during the film, the idea that life is an illusion is mentioned. But it's not until several unforeseen plot twists later that the viewer realizes that two separate plots have been simultaneously unfolding, or maybe not.

If you like any of the cast, dark humour, good acting, a plot with twists and turns, then this is a little gem you should try out.

I had a good time watching the film and I appreciate the turns very much, but the music had me playing with the volume constantly. First straining for the voices and then cringing from the beating melodies, it is a poor audio mix. This, in no way, diminishes the plot's appealing complexity or the actors' delivery of it. That was all fine work.

The journey through the film is an engaging ride. This movie fails in the myriads of twists in the end. I was spinning around at every one. All right, some I predicted and some I did not, but I suppose that is irrelevant. Perhaps it is also irrelevant that I was never fully satisfied with _any_ of the twists given. I am left wanting here and I do not wish to be.

Then everything is explained in an overly much fashion. Did we really need to know so much now without knowing enough before? Leave us wanting instead here, eh?

I did not feel a connection with the side characters in this film. They should've been brought more fully to life to make it work better here. Then maybe we'd have something (for sure we'd have a longer movie!). Maybe much of this film found its way to the editing room floor. I do not know, but it is missing something.

Overall, this movie is worth watching, but it won't get top billing in my deeveedee collection. I can go no higher than 6 of 10.

I borrowed the movie from a buddy at work. He kept telling me the movie was "alright"

So i figured, what the hell.

Wow, what i great movie. It's got kind of a satisfying feeling about it when the ending gets close. But it's basically about how someone who has been working hard at their job for years, suddenly gets fired, and now he's sort of out for revenge. But has a twist of Karma thrown in the mix too....and has a lesson to be learned. (obviously as the movie description states)

But it's got that revenge kind of "feel" to it, just like "Office Space". But this movie isn't as soft and funny. It's a little cruel but STILL VERY FUNNY at the same time. Kind of a weird mixture of the two.

And it does have a few sex scenes or sexually explicit stuff.

It seems like these kinds of movies are always swept under the rug when they first come out....just because they involve "sensitive issues", like Workplace Violence and things like that.....

But it IS a good movie, regardless.

That's all. Review is in the title. The movie is good, REALLY GOOD but I can see why it's not rated highly. The ending is so unbelievable and idiotic this movie that otherwise would have been a solid 8.5 or 9 gets reduced to a 6 (really 5.5).

This film portrays a few days in the life of David Walsh (Matt Dillon). Getting ready for a big performance review at the bank he works at, one where he expects an advancement, he learns that the Bank's manager thinks his work habits are well below professional and is officially terminated.

An interesting spiral of events occurs from that point. His fiancée (Christine Applegate) discovers that he has been sleeping with her best friend. A great scene occurs where this information is revealed to the viewer. Picture this: Dillon arrives "late" to a dinner meeting with his fiancée and her parents. She reads a letter regarding her concerns with his lack of faithfulness. Dillon does a great job showing his discomfort with the content and tone of the letter. The plot continues to spiral, taking interesting turns, some surprising, some not.

Overall, I found the movie to be okay. If I did recommend it to a friend, it would not be for the movie as a whole, but for some of the particular scenes. In certain scenes, Steve Zahn, Matt Dillon and Christine Applegate give great performances. I found myself laughing and wondering what was going to happen next. But I sensed that the plot was a bit rushed and did not connect the various events together that well. This is why I gave it a 5/10. Regardless of the low grade, check it out for some great scenes and a good soundtrack.