Sorry to Bother You is Boots Riley’s directorial debut and it is a bizarre commentary on capitalism that needs to be seen. This film is a dark comedy that will make you laugh just as much as it will make you think.
Sorry to Bother You is Boots Riley’s directorial debut and it is a bizarre commentary on capitalism that needs to be seen. This film is a dark comedy that will make you laugh just as much as it will make you think.
Provided Synopsis:
Expect the unexpected in hip-hop artist Boots Riley’s Directional and screenwriting debut, Sorry to Both You – an outrageously surreal look at capitalism, corporate greed, and fractured workplace dynamics. In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, California, Struggling telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, which propels him into a macabre universe.
Usually, I like to write my own synopsis of the story before a start a review, though not knowing even the general storyline helped to make this film even more enjoyable. I want to get into some slight spoiler stuff later in regards to the story but we will come back to that.
As great as the characters are, this is surprisingly not a character-driven movie. The premise is really what drives the film forward but the original characters are really just the icing on top. This is a very stylized movie and the characters are no exception to that. Aside from the lead, Cassius who is actually rather mellow, every one of the characters with speaking roles is over the top and turned to 11. Just these characters interacting with each other alone made each scene fun to watch. Before I get into specific characters I also want to compliment the costuming department who made sure that each character was dressed in a way that 100% fit that character as well as the tone of the scene. Even the outfits were often slightly odd and it was a stylistic choice that helped add to the overall scene.
Cassius “Cash” Green
The lead character of this film is probably the most down to earth character in the film. He seems to be the only one who is not super stylized and I believe the purpose of this was so that the audience would be able to relate to him more. Our introduction to him is his interview at the telemarketing company and we find out that he forged his previous work experience and his reference is fake, though he gets the job anyway because it was a telemarketer job and they only care if you know how to read. From this scene on we can tell that Cash is a driven man who is stuck in some bad circumstances and is willing to put forth the work to get out.
In the beginning, we see Cash start his day and see just how poor he is through his routines. One thing that I appreciated is that no one ever says that he is poor, you pick it up through his interactions, like when he goes to the gas station and asks the cashier for “40 on pump 2” and gives her 40 cents. There was also a scene where he was driving with his friends and it began to rain causing him and his girlfriend to pick up these ropes off of the floor of the car. They started to alternate on pulling the rope and we see that the ropes are connected to the windshield wipers causing them to move. Scenes like this let us know more about this character as well as his life while doing it in a comical entertaining manner. Lastly, in the last review I wrote, I mentioned how important a dynamic change in character is to me. Whether that change is in the character’s life or the way that character views the world. The film has a perfect dynamic arc for Cash as well as his girlfriend Detriot.
Detroit
Cash’s girlfriend and almost a polar opposite person, Detroit serves and Cash’s support throughout the film always lifting him up while also stirring up some trouble of her own. Whereas Cash tends to be laid back and a very chill person, Detroit is far more eccentric in every way. In the way she dresses, the accessories she uses (especially her earrings), even her job is full of energy. She acts as the perfect foil to the mundane life that Cash lives. As for her dynamic change, as Cash’s girlfriend, she sticks by his side throughout the film and we see how the decisions that Cash makes effects those around him through Detroit more than anyone else.
Steven Lift
Talking about this character will have some slight spoilers, I highly recommend watching the movie first before reading this paragraph.
The last character I wanted to talk about is the head of Worry-Free industries, Steven Lift played to perfection by Armie Hammer. Before we talk about him, we need to discuss worry free and Cash’s involvement with them. Worry-Free is a company which people can sign a contract and become a part of this living community within the company. The people work there, live there and spend all of their time there though they don’t get paid. An activist group throughout the film refers to this as the new version of slavery. When Cash became a “power caller” his biggest client was Worry-Free and finding companies who would hire Worry-Free to manufacture their products. Cash does such a great job and getting Worry-Free customers that the head of Worry-Free, Steven Lift, invites him to a party. Now, aside from a couple of shots of Lift on TV, this was the first time that we see him interacting with others and it is show-stealing. The character is the embodiment of the young people who got rich quick and he acts as the perfect douchey rich guy. Between his facial expressions and the lines that he yells out in a macho ‘I’m better than you’ tone, every scene with him is great. Then his attitude changes on a dime once Cash sees something he was not supposed to see. He goes from this almost goofy character to being scary purely because you do not know what he is going to do next. It’s a truly great scene with fantastic pacing.
The sheer creativity of this movie was really where it shines. One of my absolute favorite things about this movie was that it was funny but not in the same way that stand up comedians or Family Guy is funny, there were hardly any jokes. Just amusing scenarios with clever lines and it worked fantastically. From satires on rap music to friends getting into a super nice and polite argument. Also, the way how they filmed the call scenes was very smart. The first few calls that Cash has, they show him at his desk literally dropping in on that person. For example, one man answered his phone while at the dinner table with his family, so Cassius and his desk drop down next to the table and he starts talking to the man. The way how they film Cash’s life transition was also super creative. They show the items that are around his apartment split into two and reveal a new nicer looking version of the item on the inside. This continues to happen until his apartment is entirely renovated. There are also various little details that you will notice throughout the film, such as a photograph in which the subject changes depending on the feeling of the scene. These details made the film even more fun to watch and act as a way to learn more about who the characters were and how they felt at the time.
I only have two real complaints about the film. Well, two and a half. I thought that some sex scenes were a little too much, though I understand that there is a reason behind them so I don’t want to count off for that. I found that the character of Squeeze is just kind of there in most scenes. His presence is crucial to the story and there are a few scenes that feature him doing something rather important. Though I found that in most of the scenes he wasn’t contributing to what was happening and it felt odd that he wasn’t. My last complaint would be that the time frame of the movie was hard to follow and there were a few times that I had no idea how much time passed until a character off handily mentioned it halfway through a scene. I had an issue with how there was no difference between the transition in a scene in which a day passed and a scene where three months had passed. I would have liked to have seen some sort of variation there to show that time had passed instead of relying on one of the characters to tell us directly.
Overall
This film was very enjoyable, extremely unpredictable, and an absolute must watch. It serves as a very interesting commentary on capitalism and the practices of large corporate companies dehumanizing people into workhorses while also being a very entertaining film. Nearly every choice made was done in a creative manner, the cast great and it was a truly impressive debut for Boots Riley.