: Extract
This is one of those low-key independent films that appeared on the edge of my radar and I wanted to see it but never did. It’s also one of those films that I thought I knew what it was about without knowing anything about it. I’m not sure why that is — if I saw some vague promotion or just read a paragraph and put my own interpretation on it. Part of the problem is the title. It’s a comedy about an extract bottling plant owner and I guess I assumed that the extract was key to the plot: I figured he discovered some new extract that gave superpowers or some funny side effect. Boy was I wrong! This film is nothing like that. It’s extremely subtle humor, almost bland. (It desperately needs a laugh track, though that would cheapen it.) Jason Bateman plays almost the same character he did on Arrested Development: a good guy trying hard and baffled by all the craziness around him. There isn’t much of a plot. He’s frustrated by his distant wife, thinking of selling the plant, being sued by an injured employee, and lusting after a female con artist who is just trying to get money from the suing employee. All these events converge into a decent, though low-key ending. While I really like the dry humor, it’s probably not everyone’s taste. It’s important to realize this isn’t a “laugh out loud” kind of comedy. It’s the kind that brings a wry smile to your lips. It’s easy to see how this could become a cult classic. There are some really wonderful moments and scenes, and on repeat viewings some of the subtle humor is really hilarious. Don’t get your comedy expectations too high and it’s definitely worth checking out if you like this kind of humor.
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