Office Christmas Party *** (2016, Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, T J Miller, Jennifer Aniston, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Courtney B Vance) – Movie Review

Christmas is a time for peace on earth, goodwill to mankind, going to the movies – and of course having ghastly office parties. Well, that’s that sorted out and settled then! If you haven’t got an actual office party to go to, you might seriously consider this virtual one. Office Christmas Party is a seriously sour and raucous anti-Christmas comedy, exactly as advertised. Though talking of advertising, the movie’s a lot better than the trailer suggests.

Three people are responsible for the story – Jon Lucas, Scott Moor and Timothy Dowling – and it’s the story that’s the problem here because (despite three pairs of hands) there really isn’t one and such a one as there is, is preposterous and pointless in the extreme. However, as long as you don’t try to think about it between laughs, it is a serviceable enough peg to hang the gags on.

It is an ensemble comedy, but Jason Bateman is top-billed as Josh, a tech company’s Chief Technical Officer who links together with hard-partying, good-natured simpleton Clay Vanstone (T J Miller) to rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party.

Their dastardly plan is to impress a potential client Walter Davis (Courtney B Vance) and close a sale with him that would save their jobs when Clay’s CEO sister (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her brother’s branch of the company and also of course bans partying. She’s Mrs Scrooge, obviously.

Three people are responsible for the screenplay – Justin Malen, Laura Solon and Dan Mazer – and they’re the heroes here, as it feels honed and honed in rewrite after rewrite, till, you know what?, it’s actually funny. It is gag heavy, with jokes scattered fast and furious all over the place for a quick-moving 105 minutes.

Bateman, Miller and Aniston bring their warm, charismatic personalities to the movie, even Aniston, who plays your boss from hell. basically, they are funny people who don’t seem to be working too hard while raising laughs. Kate McKinnon (from the 2016 Ghostbusters), Jillian Bell and Rob Corddry are much more acquired tastes, with McKinnon giving a most arch and untruthful comedy performance as uptight HR head Mary. But, arguably, they are all funny anyway. 

Bateman never seems to do that much (at least you don’t catch him doing it), but he is very skilled performer and his underplaying is hugely helpful here. He’s the calm centre of the storm. He has a nice act going with Olivia Munn, as Tracey, who gets some witty banter to perform with him as her office boss.

There’s a lot of expletive-deleted coarse language, some blasphemy, crude sexual content, drug use and graphic nudity scattered throughout – plenty to offend quite a few people – but of course the film’s heart is in the right place. It even pauses a couple of time to be touching and tender before getting back on the path of naughty laughs. It’s more Bad Santa than Bad Santa 2, if you know what I mean. That is, it is raunchy and in-your-face but silly, funny and basically good-natured if not exactly warm-hearted.

I would not say it is the world’s subtlest comedy, or the funniest, but, approached in a spirit of the goodwill to mankind we talked about at the start, it might jingle your bells, some of the way, if not all the way. Ho, ho, ho! Three hos.

Directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck are also responsible for Blades of Glory (2007) and The Switch (2010), which also starred Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Movie Review

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