The Boss
Dustin Chase
“Tammy”, “Spy”, “The Heat”, “Identity Theft”, if you have seen one Melissa McCarthy film you have seen them all. McCarthy is following the same path of her male comedian counterparts, jumping into scripts that sell her one note comedy routine. “The Boss” is the second collaboration between McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone who co-wrote and directed “Tammy”. Filled with the types of gags we expect from McCarthy, you begin to wonder if her Oscar nominated performance in “Bridesmaids”, introducing her to the film world, was just a fluke. “The Boss” is another vulgar comedy with bad morals and behavior comingled with prat falls and thoughtless plot devices, then rapidly tries to sell a convoluted sweet message in the end.
Orphaned as a child, Michelle Darnell (McCarthy) used her understanding of business and philanthropy to become the 47th wealthiest person in the US. Her rise and fall is swift as she is arrested for insider trading, tipped off by former lover and business partner Renault (Dinklage) who holds a vicious grudge. Formerly working under the cutthroat mogul, assistant Claire (Bell) is the only person in Chicago Michelle can ask for help and shelter. Living paycheck to paycheck as a single mother, Claire is coerced into a business venture with Michelle selling homemade brownies. Yet when the three woman resemble a family unit, basking in
Watching an overweight middle aged lady fall down the steps again and again is no longer worth the ticket price.
The film opens with an outrageous entrance from Darnell, flying in on a phoenix shooting pyrotechnics into a stadium full of fans. She is a female Tony Robbins meets Paula Stewart reimagined as a cult phenomenon. The introductory rap performance introduces us to her flashy business attire jumpsuit complete with neck choking fabric that adorns every following outfit. This sets the pace for the remainder of the film as scene after scene presents McCarthy in another awkward, unfunny, over the top and often ridiculous scenario. The next scene is supposed to be funny as Darnell tries to have a conversation while wearing a teeth whitening mouth guard, which like an SNL skit, runs longer than the joke lasts. The same could be said for McCarthy’s career so far on film, the skits are still running, but the jokes have long silenced. Watching an overweight middle aged lady fall down the steps again and again is no longer worth the ticket price.
The films only scene of mild humor occurs when Michelle takes Claire’s daughter to her girl scout fundraising meeting. The banter between the now convicted felon and another mother is quite amusing, but like the rest of the script, this interaction is played again and again until the grown women, and their kids end up in a street fight. Kathy Bates appears for the third time in a McCarthy film, while “Game of Thrones” Dinklage continues his cinematic downfall following last year’s “Pixels”. “The Boss” is a boring and predictable action comedy offering nothing new from McCarthy. It’s creative team is too busy counting money rather than delivering something fresh and original.
Final Thought
Seen one McCarthy film, seen em’ all.