Corner Office is a dull surrealistic film that wastes an elite performance by Jon Hamm.
Every year, the Tribeca Film Festival kicks off my festival season and remains one of my favorite festivals of the year. While rarely offering films that end up in the Oscar conversation at year’s end, the festival has consistently had some of the most unique, inspired, and exciting selections. This year’s no different, as Tribeca’s slate includes an array of films and documentaries that will have folks talking.
One of those selections was Corner Office, starring Jon Hamm and what I can call the opposite of Mad Men’s Don Draper. Unfortunately, a film that started as one of my most anticipated films of the festival turned into a dull surrealistic film that wastes an elite performance by Jon Hamm.
Corner Office is based on the Jonas Karlsson novel, “The Room”, and follows Orson, an office worker who discovered a secret office between the bathroom and elevator. His fascination for this office stems from his curiosity about the office’s location and existence to the creative freedom that hits him anytime he enters the room. Orson’s feelings about the office lead to his idea, “When I work in there, I am able to do anything.”
Ted Kupper’s screenplay takes a thin plot device and fails to add any intriguing concepts and ideas. The film told from Orson’s perspective makes investing difficult, thanks to Orson being an incredibly unlikeable presence. Little effort is made to support any character in the movie, making the film a mundane attempt that takes the 100-minute run-time and becomes a cinematic chore.
If aspects of the film work, they are Pawal Edleman’s cinematography, which homages Fargo with its strikingly gorgeous overhead shots of the snow-filled parking lot. Troy Hansen’s production design strips away any color and personality which matches Orson to a tee.
The biggest sin of Corner Office is wasting a phenomenal performance by Jon Hamm. Hamm evokes the narcissist loner to perfection. However, rather than leaning on the satirical aspects, Hamm never breaks the fourth wall to let cinephiles know he’s in on the gag, but rather is conniving, manipulative, and stripped away of his natural charm and charisma to inhabit this insufferable character.
Corner Office‘s most significant success is reminding viewers of the monotonous terrain of a 9-5 job. Lacking compelling reasons to stick around, the film offers a reminder of why working from home may be the solution rather than sticking around for a second view of this disappointing slog.
Rating: 2 out of 5
NEXT: Somewhere In Queens Review
About Corner Office
You work for the Authority in a towering, concrete office building. You’re proud of what you do, you know how to dress appropriately and how to behave – but why don’t your co-workers? Why doesn’t Rakesh stick to his side of the desk? Why does Shannon bother you with her incompetence?
Imagine the relief you feel when you find a beautiful, empty corner office. It’s just your style: with its teak and soft earthy tones that stand in stark juxtaposition to the harsh overhead lighting and office landscape where the others dwell, you can finally do your best work and escape the rabble around you.
But why is everyone complaining about you and your impeccable work ethic to the boss? Why would they be so worried about you and your prized corner office?
Corner Office played at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
