Okay, Doug Stauber (Seann William Scott) isn't on the very bottom rung but he's close to it. He has a few people he can boss around but not many. One day, though, he spies an empty lot with a sign promising a new Donaldson's Grocery Store will be opening. At last! His chance to move up and become a manager. His boss even tells him he's a "shoo-in" (or is it shoe-in?) for the job. Heck, with that kind of assurance, Doug decides he and his wife can go ahead and buy that house they've always wanted. But wait... some competition arrives from Donaldson's sister company up in teh Great White North. Richard (John C. Reilly) is a recently arrived Canuck who's got his sights set on that new manager position as well. Now the two men will have to compete for the job.The premise has the potential to be funny and the cast (which also includes Lili Taylor and Jason Bateman) is fully capable of delivering top-notch performances. So how does this film manage to go so terribly wrong? Blame writer-director Steve Conrad. He can't decide if he has a savage satire, a touching drama, or a gross out comedy on his hands. He tries for the droll deadpan of Ricky Gervais' The Office and then lays on inane 50s style elevator muzak. The result is a film that is tonally all over the map. The film also tries so hard to underplay its comedy that it practically falls asleep at the wheel. Tone and pace are absolutely crucial to comedy. If the tone is wrong or the pace is off - by even a hair -- the comedy will shrivel up and die. And that's precisely what happens in The Promotion.
There are a few gags that prompt laughter, like when Doug points out that his wife's co-worker can never remember his name even though Doug's name is emblazoned on his shirt. The film also milks stereotypes about Canadians for the occasional giggle, although that's mostly because of Reilly's comedic skills. (Although Reilly can't seem to muster a Canadian accent, and Taylor's Scottish accent is all over the place.) But for the most part, The Promotion feels tired and stale. To make matters worse, Conrad directs his cast to sleepwalk through the film; it's as if they are all moving in slow motion. We never care enough about the characters to make the film work as a bittersweet drama, and the competitiveness between the two men never escalates to the kind of wicked heights that could make the film nasty fun.
The Promotion (rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use) is a film that simply won't look good on anyone's resume.
Companion viewing: Clerks, Office Space, The Office (British one), The Apartment, 9 to 5, Secretary, American Beauty (for the scene of Kevin Spacey quitting), Glengarry Glen Ross
