Review of Management (2009) by Anupama S — 07 Oct 2009

Parachuting into the pool of a man whose life revolves around raising attack-trained Malinois dogs (Woody Harrelson), his fiance's stalker (Steve Zahn), is met with a hail of automatic BB-gunfire and squawky dithering by said fiance (Jennifer Aniston). No Malinois. The ultimate "release the hounds" moment and...nothing. "Management" defines the difference between inspired Indie and merely low-budget. "Management" coulda been a contender.

On to the good parts: the Deleted Scenes, and Audio Commentary. Gotta be a great film in here somewhere. Fred Ward (playing Zahn's dad) has never made a bad flick. With a little sound effects editing, and gems from the refuse pile, it could work. Malinois snarling and barking could be edited into the parachute scene to fill the void, and the scrapped attack dog sequence used to beef up the intensity of what true stalker love has to endure in confronting mere marriage.

Writer-director Stephen Belber did not see fit to provide microphones for Zahn and what sounds like Aniston in the far background of the Audio Commentary. Coulda-woulda-shoulda moments are relived, including regrets over the awkward ending. Belber is no team player as the lack of microphones suggests.

Forcing actors to run the gauntlet of saying flatlined lines--Aniston's "Who is that?" as unrecognizable parachutist Zahn is flailing in the pool in helmet and jumpsuit--is a major buzz-kill for a feel-good movie. "This used to be all scrub" as father and son are overlooking...scrub? Berber mentions having to shout directions to Aniston and Zahn in their brief sex scene. Bump? Jump? This gifted cast needed input, not shouting.

Aniston's body of work has embraced regular guys with dignity, and "Management" could be another charming addition if and when it is given a make-over, maybe an "Actor's Cut." Steve Zahn's almost unintelligible comments in the Audio Commentary seem to indicate he senses something is lacking. As it stands, this version of "Management" is emphatically not "bursting with originality and humor" as touted.