Management (2008) User Reviews

"Management" is a good judge of character

[napierslogs · 7/10 · 22 January 2011]

Mike (Steve Zahn) is a hapless young man stuck in Arizona; Sue (Jennifer Aniston) is a young career woman on the move all over the country. He thinks he has something special with her but she just views his actions as inappropriate.

Aniston's Sue comes across as mature and diplomatic—very different than Rachel and her other recent characters. While Steve Zahn's character was very well written. He's very awkward and inexperienced around women and his use of words shows that perfectly and humorously. He's also very observant and a good judge of character. These characteristics help him build a connection with Sue and move the film forward.

At times, the structure of the story drags the film down a bit. The beginning is about introducing the characters and the second half has a more active plot when we meet Sue's on-again, off-again, and on-again boyfriend Janga (Woody Harrelson) and Mike gets closer to sorting out his life. The two halves aren't connected as well as they could have been but there is a bit of subdued humour sprinkled throughout.

"Management" is just a romantic comedy, but it has better written humour than most in the genre and much better written characters. I recommend it for its cute performances by Aniston and Zahn and for the little bit of inspiration that such real and developed characters can provide.

More Than Worth It

[sogkokou-1 · 7/10 · 28 September 2009]

First of all, I'd like to start by saying that I'm not a frequent movie comments writer, or any other sort of writer apart from my academic essays, hence, the lack of experience or proper writing structure which, more than probably would be blatant to a knowledgeable reader. However, I'm more than passionate about cinematography and I do believe without a shadow of a reasonable doubt that I've developed a fine taste for my viewing themes.

That said, I'm more than willingly commenting on this movie is because I have read an unjust and undermining comment about it right after I've watched it. So, the reasons I'd like to point out why this movie is more than a decent flick and contradict the over demanding (perhaps) commentator are:

A. It's a comedy slash romance flick (for crying out loud). So, it's quite obvious that if you are going to see this with expectations of such grandiose productions as of, in my opinion, Citizen Kane and 12 Angry Men, or Schindler's List, then you would more than likely be quite disappointed.

B. From where I stand, the casting was ingenious. In other words, it couldn't have been better (surprisingly enough since I've never appreciated Jenny as an actress, but this was just her ideal role).

C. The story is not over exaggerated which adds to its credibility. It's simple, well digestible and, not just funny, but harmfully hilarious at some points. On top of that, it's heart warming and free of "superficial additives".

D. The whole execution was flawless, starting from acting to photography and visual/audio presentation.

And, to rap things up, compared to its own kind, this flick stands in the top 10. So, it's a must see for sure.

Tries too hard

[MovieAddict2016 · 5/10 · 10 November 2009]

"Management" isn't necessarily a bad film -- I just found it entirely disengaging. Judging from some of the early feedback, I was expecting a sweet (if predictable) "indie" romantic comedy. I'm not a big fan of Jennifer Aniston, but she plays her types of roles well enough, and Steve Zahn proved with "Rescue Dawn" that he's an underrated actor.

My problem with "Management" is that it plays into the quirky subgenre clichés far too easily. I'd bet the director is a big Hal Ashby or Mike Nichols fan -- this comes off like an uneasy mix of "Harold and Maude" and "The Graduate." Its protagonist is a borderline stalker.

That's not inherently negative, but I just felt like there was no real spark between Aniston and Zahn. The whole thing felt very...calculated. It wasn't naturally offbeat -- and, as a result, I was left wondering why we're supposed to feel any type of entertainment in watching these people.

Nice little film

[imdbbl · 21 August 2009]

Jennifer Aniston plays Sue Claussen, a lonely traveling saleswoman. In one of her trips she checks in in a roadside motel in Arizona.Mike,played by Steve Zahn, is the son of the owners and he feels attracted to her immediately.Trough little schemes Mike succeeds in seducing Sue and they spend a night together. Eventually Sue checks out of the motel;however Mike can't let go of her and flies across the country to meet her. There is a lot more to the story but I don't want to give anything away.But make no mistake, this indie is much more then your typical romantic comedy.It bursts with originality,humor and sweetness.Both Mike and Sue are looking for something meaningful in life but while Mike pursues what he wants(in this case,Sue) Sue holds back fearing for the complications of being involved with someone like Mike and for the complications of life itself. The soundtrack was good and Mrs. Aniston had plenty of charisma as always but the film belongs undeniably to Steve Zahn. Amazing performance. He plays Mike in a way that its impossible not to feel devoted for his character.

7/10

If you take the movie seriously, you will get moved

[aaawwq · 7/10 · 3 December 2020]

I guess the reason why this movie gets such a low rating is it is TOO unrealistic. Who would buy a one-way ticket with all his savings just to see a girl he has met twice and slept with once? Who would parachute himself into a luxury swimming pool to meet his darling girl? Who would convert a family-owned motel into a homeless people's shelter?

Scarcely no one would do those things in real life. But it is those tiny few people that do these things that makes people believe in fairy tales.

The overall storyline is trustworthy. It's basically about a girl who makes a living in a large company, large city, doing a job against her true calling, getting back with a rich guy with who she's to have a baby. Jennifer Aniston does a good job playing a seemingly hardhearted woman. She is rather 'tense' and harsh but towards the end of the movie it gets so hilarious that she writes a poem to the hero.

We do need realistic movie that reveals the severity of life. But when we get baffled, it's not bad that we watch a chicken soup that teaches us to follow the heart.

not bad

[toadwriter · 6/10 · 9 October 2009]

I had a personal interest in this film because the New Hings restaurant they filmed at is right next to where I work. Although it's not Aberdeen as they claim in the film. lol. ooops.

Is that a spoiler? I think what follows is sort of a give-a-way to what happens in the film, so I marked it as a spoiler.

I thought the film was sort of funny because there's actually a lot of guys like Steve Zahn, only worse, that have a hard time approaching women for fear of getting shot down. The fact that his horrid approach worked is what makes the film sort of cute, unique, and original... because that crap would never fly in the real world.

And that is probably the problem with the film... it's pretty unrealistic. Aniston seems to fall for him more so out of pity, or simply because he's so peculiar in his resiliency.

It's not a match made in heaven, but it's a dream come true for a dork.

All in all, this is a film that will be forgotten, if it was ever known. It doesn't need to be recommended because there's nothing ground-breaking, but I will say while I'm not a fan of this kind of hair-brain romantic crap, I didn't feel like it was 2 hours of my life I wanted back. So that's not bad. Recommended to women, dorks, losers, guys who can't get a girl, nerds. I think the manly men who like The Godfather and Goodfella's are going to think this is a shameful waste of time.

Zahn and Aniston's performances deserved a much better film

[MBunge · 5/10 · 2 June 2010]

Management is a quirky little wish fulfillment fantasy for lonely nice guys that comes completely undone when it brings too many contrived and conventional romantic comedy clichés into the mix. It trades subtlety and dysfunctional realism for overly broad comedy and reaches for meaning that it never really earns.

Mike (Steve Zahn) is the night manager at his parents motel. He's the classic 30something guy who still lives like he's in his teens, with no ambition to ever be more than that. Then he falls in love with a woman who checks into the motel one night. Well, Mike actually falls in love with her butt, since he only sees her from behind at first. Sue (Jennifer Aniston) is a traveling saleswoman who doesn't quite know what to make of Mike and his pathetically inept attempts at romance, but she responds to his neediness enough to throw him a roll in the hay before she has to check out. Mike then spends every last dime he has to fly across the country and visit Sue. She's a little taken aback but can't resist his harmless sincerity and indulges his romantic fantasies for a while before sending Mike back to his mom and dad.

A tortured long-distance relationship continues for a while but when Mike gets another chance to visit Sue, he learns she's moved all the way across the country to get back together with an old boyfriend. Mike decides to follow her and that's where the story falls down and dies. What had been sweet and original becomes fake and predictable, with Mike even picking up a wacky best friend and indulging in an opaque journey of self-discovery. The movie even ends in a way that makes you wonder if writer/director Stephen Belber forgot what the original point of his story was.

The best thing about Management is the acting of Steve Zahn and Jennifer Aniston. Zahn is given a character who behaves like a deranged stalker for most of the film. The script could have made Mike into a serial killer and it wouldn't have been that surprising, but Zahn is able to drain away all of Mike's potentially unsettling creepiness and make him likably pitiful. Aniston gives probably her most nuanced and affecting performance since The Good Girl, playing an unhappy adult who finds some solace with Mike's immature devotion but can't ignore how emotionally stunted he is. You can never forget how unbelievable it is that a well-intentioned but hapless loser like Mike could ever wind up with a successful beauty like Sue, but Zahn and Aniston interact so well that you won't care.

Unfortunately, that relationship is largely abandoned for the second half of the movie and it runs through fairly typical rom-com paces. Mike spends far more time with the new wacky best friend the film gives him than he does with Sue, and when the movie does bring Mike and Sue back together it's with a maudlin tone that is out of step with either the sweet, quirky beginning or the broad, almost slapstickish comedy of the middle.

Writer/director Belber came up with two great characters and cast two wonderful actors to play them, but then he didn't let their story unfold organically. Instead of letting Mike and Sue experience the limitations of their unequal relationship, Belber wields The Almighty Plot Hammer to keep them apart. So instead of feeling the real pain Mike and Sue would inflict on each other as their romantic dreams collided with reality, there's a bunch of manufactured angst that covers up how unhealthy Mike and Sue's relationship actually is.

I mean, a guy knows a woman for 48 hours and decides to fly across the country to see her? She sees him show up at her office and doesn't immediately tell him to get lost? Then after stringing him along, she gets back with an old boyfriend and moves without telling him…and he follows her to her new home on the other side of the country? These are desperate and mean actions, yet Mike and Sue never have to accept or deal with that because the story never allows them too.

Zahn and Aniston are great. Management is not.

Okay romantic comedy

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 1 October 2009]

Steve Zahn meets Jennifer Aniston when she stays at the motel he works at. Becoming smitten he follows her across the country and runs afoul of her boyfriend, played by Woody Harrelson, with whom he develops a friendly relationship. I completely understand how this off beat romance got only a limited release and even more limited box office, its just different enough that I don't think many people will know what to make of it. Frankly this film has cult movie written all over it. It's a good movie but its decidedly its own animal, with Steve Zahn playing a reigned in version of his quirky self. He's sweet but in a way he seems like a stalker. Still it's a sweet film. I don't know if I would have been happy paying 12 bucks to see this in the movies but as a rental on DVD it wasn't bad

The worst movie EVER

[okwelder82 · 1/10 · 25 October 2009]

Management is the worst movie I have ever seen! I cannot believe anyone recommended this film. The story line is overly long and has no real point. The acting is sub-par in every aspect. All interaction between the characters is awkward and unbelievable. In fact, the entire film is unbelievable. It is hard to describe all of my disappointment. Throughout the movie after every scene I kept thinking the movie is going to really "start" any minute, but unfortunately it remains boring and dumb. Its shocking because I like Jennifer Aniston in other films, but can't imagine what she thought was appealing in this script. In summary, I strongly suggest you pluck your eyes out if the other option is watching this movie!

Reaching for the bottom

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 22 December 2011]

Mike, the night manager of his parent's Arizona motel, is a loner; he has no life. When we meet him he is living in one of the upstairs room of the complex. Mike suddenly awakens to show emotion, when Sue Classens, a sales rep for motel art work, stops at the inn. She is seen to Mike as a pleasant distraction. The first night he knocks on her door to offer a complimentary bottle of wine, something that puzzles Sue. What does he really want, she wonders. On her second night, he offers her a bottle of champagne. If Sue had doubts about the intentions of this man, she counteracts with her own proposal: Would he like to touch her butt? It is an offer no man could refuse.

Sue, in turn, finds herself in a quandary. She is based in Baltimore. She is probably a girl with low self esteem who finds it is safe having sex with Mike on the day she was departing, but little did she think of the consequences of her actions. Mike is smitten. He has to go see her, and if possible stay with her. Sue is not exactly happy to see Mike come back into her life, so she sends him packing back to Arizona. Mike does not give up. When he finds out she has moved to Washington state, he makes it his priority. Unfortunately, Sue has gone back to her ex-punk boyfriend, now a businessman with a yogurt business. Will Mike impress Sue?

This is an indie film that came as a surprise when it turned up on a cable channel. Not having seen it, we decided to take a look. Directed and written by Stephen Belber, the film has a combination of styles, but it pays off because it does not pretends to be anything but a small film. The success of "Management" depended heavily on its star, Jennifer Aniston, an underrated actress whose choices always tend to be big studio features which only requires her to be pretty. As she clearly showed in "The Good Girl", it pays to have a good director behind her whom she trusts totally. This is not exactly what one would expect to be one of her first choices, but playing it subtly, Ms. Aniston's work seems to be the best excuse to watch "Management".

A tamed Steve Zahn plays Mike with a new perspective, something that pays off for him. The combination of this actor and Ms. Aniston pays in sweet ways. Woody Harrelson does another of his specialties with his Jango, although he is seen briefly. The wonderful Margo Martindale, appears as Mike's mother, but her screen time is only limited. The same goes for Fred Ward, the enigmatic father.

Director Stephen Belber does a fine job in his film debut.

Simplicity and awful

[petit76 · 1/10 · 29 October 2009]

I really don't understand how people say good things about this piece of crap movie. the movie starts with Jennifer Aniston's coming to a transient hotel to stay for couple of days and develops with her accepting the receptionist to open the complimentary bottle of wine for her as a gift. She has a very different look on her face about this receptionist and she later senses he wants to touch her butt and she lets him do this and she later falls in love with this butt keen guy .. what kinda movie plot is it that to attract Jennifer Aniston's butt fonds to write all those making no sense comments. This movie is totally a crap and the cheapest scenery and very easy plotting . Her letting the wacky little man touch her butt should say a lot to all those who have not watched this piece of crap. Stay away from this half wit movie . I would totally give 0 out of 10 but there is no selection like that . it is awful

Pleasantly surprising

[sborders1969 · 8/10 · 7 December 2009]

In watching this film I felt the same way I did when I first saw Kevin Costner's "Fandango". This is a quirky film with quirky characters you can't help but love. Steve Zahn plays the lead with a subtle sweetness and innocence only he can pull off. He's one of those people who don't seem to have that built in stop button which prevents them from doing something extreme, yet even at his most extreme, you never seem to be intimidated by him. His lonely maintenance man working for his parents at their run-down Arizona motel, meets up with an inhibited, attractive travelling sales woman who is clearly trying to find her identity, but is too afraid of taking a chance. Jennifer Anniston proves time and time again she can handle any role to come her way, and understands this character. What I thought would be a run of the mill romantic comedy, turns out to be a thoughtful character study with it's share of tender moments.

Was able to help me maintain a smile throughout but...

[joseph-jose10 · 6/10 · 31 August 2009]

Starts of in a weird-suspicion filled smiley way and switches to a constant smile throughout, Management was fun, easy to relate too but one of the flaws was the character development taking it's own sweet time and the ending was quite predictable and questionable. Steve's character looking like a lost needy person stuck and yes he portrays it quite well. Jennifer's style quotient and oomph factor also giving glamour to his role and that part of the screen...where ever she was, But in all, I guess it was solely Steve Zahn smile and acting and Jennifer's you-know-what having a whole frame that pulled this movie through. An OK movie and not a complete waste of time. I'd give it a clean 6.6/10

Wow dude this man is awesome...your grandma must be really rich!

Not good, not bad

[ryancm · 5/10 · 19 October 2009]

MANAGEMENT is a small budget movie and it shows. The problem is that the elements don't add up. Is it a comedy? Is it a romance? Is it a drama? Life itself is all these things, but something went wrong with the elements here. Maybe too many scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, as at times the scene to scene cuts don't make sense.

Miss Aniston again plays Rachel, her character in FRIENDS. She talks with that hesitant speech pattern that can be annoying. She doesn't seem to finish her sentences as she stops and stutters too often. She's not a bad actress, but I wish she'd stop with those mannerisms. She tries to act natural, but it comes off as "unatural" Many actresses have a range of A to Z...hers is more like A to G.

One implausible element is when the Steve Zahn character is parachuting. How did he manage to hit the exact home that Aniston is living in???? Quite incredible.

The Woody Harelson character is the least interesting and should have been written and played differently. There is no reason Aniston would be with him.

Actress Margo Martindale who played Zahn's mother was wonderful and too bad she left the film so early.

I DID like the ending with the butt touch. Also

This should be a flop, but somehow it works! Much better than we thought it would be from the premise.

[TxMike · 3 October 2009]

Curious title, "Management." It comes from a very early scene when the character Mike is bringing a bottle of wine to the motel room of the character Sue, and when she says "Who is it?" he answers, "Management."

Kingman, Arizona in the year 2000 had a population of right at 20,000. It sits on I-40 and the historic Route 66, nearly half-way between Phoenix and Las Vegas.

The story starts in Kingman, at one of the town's small motels, when traveling salesperson, Jennifer Aniston as Sue Claussen, checks in. This is a family-run motel, and the couple's son is Steve Zahn as Mike. By all indications Mike is a pretty dull, pretty unambitious guy. When dad tells him to he cleans the pool, or unclogs a toilet. I suppose he just figures that is his lot in life, someday the motel will be his and he will continue doing what his dad and mom did.

But this fateful day he is absolutely smitten with Sue. She is pretty and neat, a business woman that Mike probably rarely sees. So, being on the night shift, Mike figures out a way to see her again. He digs into the back storage and finds a very old bottle of cheap white wine, and goes up to room 203, and knocks with the excuse that he is there to give their guest a free bottle of wine. He insists on opening it, and when Sue tastes it she makes quite a face. But she was polite and bid him farewell.

But Mike, as dull as he may be, was persistent. The next night he went up with a bottle of cheap Champagne, with the excuse that 2nd night guests get that. We sort of feel for Mike and his pathetic existence, and we know this type of approach never works. In a funny if also totally improbable scene Sue makes Mike an offer, if she lets him feel her butt, will he go and leave her alone?

All that happens in the opening minutes of the movie, which sets up Mike's ill-advised pursuit of Sue. Surely a smart businesswoman from Maryland would never find anything remotely attractive in this small motel handyman in Kingman, Arizona. But Mike never learned the art of quitting, and he continues to pursue her, even showing up in Maryland on a one-way ticket.

The other key character is Woody Harrelson as Jango, a former punk musician who now has turned to yogurt for his fortune in Washington state. He is an old boyfriend of Sue's and when it looks like they might reconcile Mike's pursuit takes on a different tenor.

As I already said, this premise should not work. This should be a flop of a movie. But it isn't. It is actually a very entertaining movie with a good message. Aniston and Zahn develop an on-screen chemistry that I didn't believe possible.

SPOILERS: Sue does in fact move in with Jango, but we can see she can't be happy with this oddball guy. As she had told Mike when they were visiting once, her real passion would be to run a soup kitchen for the homeless. Meanwhile Mike's mom died and dad signed the deed for the motel over to him. He decided he would turn it into a gathering place for the homeless, along with a soup kitchen, and he and Sue were destined to do it together.

Being a true man is that simple!

[first_johnson · 6/10 · 14 October 2009]

Easy movie,showing that finally the best things in life are the simple things.Steve Zahn acted nicely his touching role,same as Fred Ward.Jennifer Aniston's eyes are so expressive,no need to say about the rest...if you know what i mean.She gave the movie a boost only by playing her role showing her talent in specific scenes.I believe that this movie could have stayed more in the sentimental and emotional part,also by adding a little cosmopolitan aura in it,a field that suits perfect to Mrs Aniston's style and class in the screen.Also Mr Zahn's simple attitude in the movie(a thing that is charming in a world especially in the city where everybody is so busy making a show off his ego whenever he finds the time)became indeed to childish,which i thing it was unnecessary.However,if it wouldn't have been this way,it could have been almost the same like other movies of this kind.

Entertaining Movie

[carstenbornemann · 7/10 · 28 January 2010]

After reading Roger Eberts review (3 Stars) I decided to check this movie....and I did enjoy the movie! It had some very funny moments. Mostly because of Zahn's great and subtle comedic timing and his straight subjective: I want her and I get her, no matter what. Jennifer Aniston plays a sales woman and rejects him, but he "just keeps showing up - like UPS".

Even though this is a funny romantic comedy it seems more for guys who from time to time watch these kind of movies...just my guess, since Zahn's not a typical heartthrob leading man ;) Maybe that's why this movie made peanuts at the box office.

I also like Zahn's innocent character as a guy who can't hurt a fly, but is also often kind of fearless. Even though Aniston plays the tough one, it turns out, that his character really is the one who sort of has it all together. And his social skills are much better than hers.

A little bit deeper character development and more obvious emotional stakes and this could have been a great and funny independent movie. A little bit more over the top and it could have been a great romantic comedy. But it's somehow in-between. The movie gets 6.5 stars from. It made me rent Sahara because of Zahn, where he also has some funny moments.

Don't Waste Your Time

[cltrapp58 · 1/10 · 31 December 2009]

This movie was a complete waste of time. It is slower than molasses in January and it was totally unbelievable that Jennifer's character would have any interest in the hotel geek. He is portrayed as a loser with no redeeming qualities at all. He was not funny, interesting, or even good looking. Therefore, it was impossible to hope he would get together with Anniston's character because you would hope for so much better for her. There was absolutely no chemistry between them and the whole movie laid an egg. I like Jennifer Anniston and have enjoyed her performances in some other movies but this was a really, really bad movie. I hope her next endeavor is giant step up from this one.

Quirky predictable rom-com

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 17 May 2014]

Mike (Steve Zahn) works at his parents' (Margo Martindale, Fred Ward) roadside motel. Sue (Jennifer Aniston) sells art for office buildings. She's passing through for the night. He's a lonely loser who falls for the cold lonely woman. He tries his best to connect. She's also strange in her own way. Just maybe they're perfect for each other.

It's a very predictable low budget indie. Nobody is really stretching their acting skills. Steve Zahn does this lovable loser character often while Aniston plays the same cold superior woman with a heart if only she's willing to open up. Writer/director Stephen Belber has created some quirky moments, but none of them are truly gut busters. It does take a wild left turn later on with Woody Harrelson. It's not any funnier although James Hiroyuki Liao is a fun sidekick.

How this movie can score a 6.5 is a total mystery to me

[kruijsdijk · 2/10 · 31 August 2009]

What a total waste of time. If you want your relationship to suffer serious damage visit this 'romantic comedy'.

Why? There's no chemistry whatsoever between the main characters, Jennifer Aniston who plays Sue Claussen, a lonely traveling saleswoman and Mike a lonely Night manager in a hotel, played by Steve Zahn. The 'jokes' are not remotely funny, unless you consider Steve skydiving into the pool of Sue funny. Mediocre acting, apart from Woody Harrison and James Hiroyuki Liao who still do a decent job . Badly written unoriginal script.

How this movie can score a 6.5 is a total mystery to me.

Pleasant surprise

[birck · 7/10 · 9 February 2010]

No, I'd never heard of it either, but decided to give it a chance. It starts a bit slowly. Once the two main characters meet, engage in some interesting, unpredictable non-sex, and some sex, they separate, and the question is: will she appreciate the few good qualities the lumpen night manager has, and get to know him? Or will she pursue her dry, empty career and/or marry her hideous boyfriend(Harrelson)? The performances are good and close to believable-with the possible exception of Woody Harrelson, whose character is not as well-written as Zahn's or Aniston's. He seems to serve as combination villain and comedy relief, like Long John Silver. Anyway, in spite of seeing J. Aniston's face everywhere, I think she can act, and she's convincing here.

Trivia: It's set in Kingman, Arizona, Aberdeen, Washington, and parts of Maryland, but filmed almost entirely in Oregon(Eastern=Arizona; western=everywhere else) except for some stock overhead footage of Baltimore.

weird, disappointing

[docudrama · 2/10 · 17 November 2009]

I can't believe that Jennifer Aniston accepted this movie. The first part is downright weird. Some guy in a motel telling Jennifer she has a nice ass (so she lets him touch it) and then stalking her.

The rest of the movie is flat and boring. Sometimes I wonder if she's perpetually playing out a script in her own mind, and grabbing any movie no matter how bad that plays it out: Weird guy goes for her. But she likes his heart, so falls for him.

The one star is for Jennifer. Otherwise, it'd be a zero.

Don't waste your time.

See her nice ass in GQ instead.

A Nutshell Review: Management

[DICK STEEL · 9/10 · 15 August 2009]

Sure if someone has hot as Jennifer Aniston were to offer you to touch their butt, I'm sure almost every male out there would jump at the chance of doing so without thinking twice. It's a no brainer offer, and a teaser of course to a larger, more sentimental story out there about the relentless pursuit of love, the romanticism attached to wanting to be with someone, without being consciously bogged by the harsh realities of life and survival. With affairs of the heart, to me at least it's a seizing of opportunities presented, rather than to adopt the wait and see approach.

The hook for the film, written and directed by Stephen Belber, is of course that much talked about scene between Aniston and Steve Zahn, the former being Sue, an art saleswoman who on a business trip had stayed at a motel, which Zahn's Mike is the night manager of his family's business. Smitten by none other than her buttocks, Mike crafts simple yet really strange excuses just to be close to Sue and talk to her, and the initial scenes which they share in her hotel room, is something that both actors brought out superbly – the awkwardness, the suspicions, and that hopeful look that something good might arise from all of the nonsense.

Thus began Mike's obsession with Sue when she allowed him that grace to fulfill a fantasy, and that translated to the borderline of stalking, where he dumps everything, and pursues her across state lines. Turning up at someone's workplace unannounced can have a very chilling effect, especially when one is only nothing more than an acquaintance and a one- nighter, to pass time and in an attempt to claw out of loneliness. After all, anything else is better than being holed up in your hotel room playing Solitaire on a computer.

Management is pretty much about the idealistic and pragmatic lenses that we wear from time to time in our view of romantic relationships. Here, it's a Mr Idealistic versus Ms Pragmatic in the approach. In Mike, we see someone with a hope of going beyond his comfort zone of his parents' business, in the pursuit of a romance that he only wishes to turn out positively. There's no plan, there's no ulterior motive, there's only the want to be with someone and spend time with her, pure and simple. Heck he doesn't even have enough money to begin with.

For Ms Pragmatic, it's all about the plan, where such a situation will lead to, Complications arrive through the introduction of her ex-boyfriend Jango (Woody Harrelson), an ex-punk band member who is now an established businessman. This means a nobody Mike is against a somebody Jango, and presents a choice for Sue to choose – the one for that undying romance, or the one who can pay the bills and allow her to continue hiding behind charitable causes to coast through life without spontaneity that the former may bring. It's a matter of love for genuine love of a person, or a love that is a matter of convenience and timing, which in itself is truly sad because you know that there's a compromise, which may not be for the better.

The film also went beyond the usual romantic elements, and tried successfully to insert other aspects of relationships such as family (Mike's Mom and Dad played by Margo Martindale and Fred Ward respectively), and friends. The role of Al (James Hiroyuki Liao) as Mike's best friend was curiously interesting as well, as here's an almost mirrored character in having a waiter working in his parents' restaurant business too. Despite being present only in the middle act, Al's role served as comedic fodder, and to catalyze that life changing idea for Mike in learning to let go, but never forgetting.

In many ways, the character of Mike had reminded me of a younger self where caution is thrown to the wind with the chasing of skirts, in the same way zoning on that singular tree while forsaking the forest, never mind the issues of incompatibility that loomed in the horizon. Not a very wise move of course on hindsight, but given the intoxicating passionate nature then, I suppose that was that. Naturally between then and now I had realized that there had been irreversible change in our characters probably, and the ones in the past vaguely seem like distant characters who only remotely resemble who they are now.

But Management somehow was more hopeful and optimistic in nature, and I suppose that suited the movie just fine, bringing you through the stages of passionate infatuation to love through the power of naive sincerity. With an excellent selection of songs in its soundtrack, Management may just end up as a surprise when I compile my top 10 list for the year. For those who are looking for that little extra in a romantic comedy, then Management may just be that little gem which will set you thinking.

Increasingly familiar quirks and outlandish romantic behavior...but Zahn's effortless charm pulls it through

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 18 January 2010]

Steve Zahn deserves to be a more celebrated actor. Reminiscent here of Michael J. Fox in his "Secret of My Success" period (though a much fuller presence and more comically dogged), Zahn takes a very thin script about a ne'er-do-well in love and actually makes something engaging out of it. Stuck working in his father's motel, Zahn has a fling with a fledgling art dealer (a nicely low-keyed Jennifer Aniston) and instantly feels this woman is his soul-mate. She has other plans, of course, but that doesn't stop our hero--he knows without a shadow of a doubt she could easily grow to love him, despite mounting obstacles. Advertised as a comedy with potentially edgy quirks, "Management" covers that territory and then commendably goes a different route. It isn't much more than a sketch in hindsight, though Zahn manages to infuse the picture with heart. He upstages a strong supporting cast with a three-dimensional performance which goes beyond the atypical puppy dog-looks and manic gestures. Writer-director Stephen Belber keeps Zahn reigned in and allows him to be human--and when the moment comes and the actor has to knock one outta the park, he does so without shrillness or strain. It's a star-making turn. **1/2 from ****

Aniston and Zahn don't manage romance

[C-Younkin · 4/10 · 17 May 2009]

Jennifer Aniston makes her return to indie territory but this little clunker from writer/director Stephen Belber (Tape) isn't going to earn her any new fans. "Management" is a romance that purposely seems to want to stop the romance from actually happening. How wrong are the two main characters for each other? If you were to swap their scenes together out and put a question mark on screen instead, it would make more sense.

Aniston plays Sue Claussen, a traveling art saleswoman who happens to stay at the motel run by the parents of Mike Cranshaw (Steve Zahn), a man-child who all indications point to not having much of a social life. Sue catches his eye. Mike brings her champagne. He tells her she has a nice ass. To get rid of him, Sue offers him a chance to "touch and go", to which he obliges. Can you feel the romance yet? This of course is not the last encounter Mike has with her, but right before leaving the motel, she explains to him why this relationship can't work. Then a couple seconds later she returns for some very passionate sex, even though they don't know each other, are complete opposites in terms of financials and personality, and Mike seems almost, I won't say retarded, but way too simple for her. Why does she do this?

Also, why does Mike follow her to Baltimore afterwards? Cause she has a nice ass? And why does Sue keep giving into Mike's fairly bizarre behavior? The rest of the movie centers on the two meeting and splitting, Mike stalking or wooing (depending on your outlook of him) her with everything from parachuting into her boyfriend Jango's (Woody Harrelson) pool to singing (badly) "Feel Like Making Love" outside of her window. Belber keeps giving us reasons why Sue should be running for the hills but the reasons for why she keeps staying with Mike are more ambiguous and the only reason I can think of for why he would want her is she's good-looking and she makes a lot of money.

Only Jennifer Aniston is a buttoned down, sexless bore here and Steve Zahn is too child-like, socially awkward, and bouncy for there to actually be any chemistry. Zahn is capable of sweetness at certain points that most other actors wouldn't be able to accomplish, but overall the romance just falters. It's not all their fault though. Belber is helming the ship and he has no idea where he's taking it. Perhaps that's why he tacks on a weak characters-needing-to-find-themselves subplot in the second half. The movie could use some trying-to-find itself of it's own.