Did not know what to expect walking in to this one, but I think the film had me at the part where protagonist Cassius Green tells the cashier at the gas station: "40 on 2"...and then drops 40 cents in the tray to "fill" his busted out Toyota. Can't say I haven't been there. Maybe not all the way, but I've at least been part of the way.
Cassius, or "Cash" Green (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is having a hard time making ends meet, living in his uncle's (Terry Crews) garage while engaged to one Ms. Detroit (Tessa Thompson), who makes her own living as a sign twirler while creating her provocative visual and performance art. Cash ponders the point of it all while fantasizing about an easier life, perhaps even one involving giving up all freedom in exchange for security and a lifetime of crap work in a service called "Worry Free."
Instead, Cash lands a low level telemarketing job at a company called Regal View, where he succeeds beyond his wildest dreams by heeding the advice of a colleague (played by Danny Glover) to use his "white voice." Cash gets reluctantly swept up in an uprising by his fellow employees who want to unionize at Regal View...while he gets promoted to "Power Caller" and gets to move upstairs, where it is "white voice" all the time.
In his new role as Power Caller, Cash winds up being so good at this that it leads to another job. It then takes a dark turn as Cash's personal life and loyalty to friends takes a big hit, and goes even darker when he learns a terrible secret...
Wow. I really liked this. I kinda wish I'd written it myself. It says so much about corporate greed, race relations, politics, the "meaning of it all," the reality of just trying to get by, the intertwining of personal and business, loyalty to friends and loved ones versus survival, the nature of humanity and how excessive greed of giant corporations threaten our very humanity.
It's so funny and messed up and political and odd...it might be about 15 minutes too long, but it's probably the best movie I've seen this year.
Cassius, or "Cash" Green (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is having a hard time making ends meet, living in his uncle's (Terry Crews) garage while engaged to one Ms. Detroit (Tessa Thompson), who makes her own living as a sign twirler while creating her provocative visual and performance art. Cash ponders the point of it all while fantasizing about an easier life, perhaps even one involving giving up all freedom in exchange for security and a lifetime of crap work in a service called "Worry Free."
Instead, Cash lands a low level telemarketing job at a company called Regal View, where he succeeds beyond his wildest dreams by heeding the advice of a colleague (played by Danny Glover) to use his "white voice." Cash gets reluctantly swept up in an uprising by his fellow employees who want to unionize at Regal View...while he gets promoted to "Power Caller" and gets to move upstairs, where it is "white voice" all the time.
In his new role as Power Caller, Cash winds up being so good at this that it leads to another job. It then takes a dark turn as Cash's personal life and loyalty to friends takes a big hit, and goes even darker when he learns a terrible secret...
Wow. I really liked this. I kinda wish I'd written it myself. It says so much about corporate greed, race relations, politics, the "meaning of it all," the reality of just trying to get by, the intertwining of personal and business, loyalty to friends and loved ones versus survival, the nature of humanity and how excessive greed of giant corporations threaten our very humanity.
It's so funny and messed up and political and odd...it might be about 15 minutes too long, but it's probably the best movie I've seen this year.