“Non-alcoholic mimosa—one per person,” reads a sign in the opening scene of “Office Christmas Party,” effectively capturing how soul-sucking and terrible work functions can be if your employer isn’t any fun. The film is full of funny little moments that cleverly tap into adult reality, but directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (“Blades of Glory,” “The Switch”) can’t establish a cohesive thread of humor other than “Isn’t excessive partying funny?”
What happens?
Josh (Jason Bateman) is the chief technology officer at a Chicago tech company, whose branch manager Clay (T.J. Miller) wants to have a good time and treat his employees like family. Unfortunately, his tightly-wound sister Carol (Jennifer Aniston) is temporary CEO following their dad’s death, and she threatens layoffs or to close their branch if numbers don’t improve. Clay decides to throw a huge Christmas party to impress a potential client (Courtney B. Vance) and save the company, which is fresh out of new ideas except for a far-fetched concept from Josh’s co-worker Tracey (Olivia Munn).
What’s good?
The cast is stacked, and everyone pulls their weight. Bateman may be his usual everyman character, but the weirdos surrounding him make the film. “Saturday Night Live” castmates Kate McKinnon and Vanessa Bayer steal scenes as Mary, an overzealous HR woman intent on keeping the fun appropriate, and Allison, a single mom who can’t catch a break, respectively. Vance commits and is especially hilarious when his character is accidentally high on cocaine. The real star, though, is Aniston, who is a badass and the only consistently funny part of the whole film. Finally, “Office Christmas Party” does an excellent job showcasing Chicago, from shots of the city to a Jimmy Butler cameo to jokes about the Bears.
What’s bad?
The film is big on bits—an Uber driver who repeatedly comments on how “Carol” is an old lady name, or a female pimp (Jillian Bell) stressed out by the pressures of being a boss. But the overarching concept of the movie isn’t funny and doesn’t effectively string together the funnier small moments. Too much time is also given to Bateman’s character, whose arc weakly hangs on the idea that he doesn’t take enough risks (until he’s willing to drive off a Chicago bridge). The whole thing feels forced—like someone had to come up with a lame excuse to show off some very funny people.
Final verdict
The cast is great, but the laughs are inconsistent and the plot is as flimsy as a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
2 stars (out of four)
@lchval | laurenchval@redeyechicago.com
