We won’t have what they’re having
Servitude
(out of 4) Starring Joe Dinicol, Enrico Colantoni, Margot Kidder and Dave Foley. Directed by Warren P. Sonoda. 85 minutes. Opens March 30 at the Cumberland. 14A
The cast is the daily special in Canadian waiter comedy Servitude, but there are leftovers on the script menu and more than a few things that stink in this juvenile gross-out laugher.
Toronto writer/producer Michael Sparaga based his script on time spent in the restaurant trenches (director Warren P. Sonoda did his time waiting tables as well) and there’s a ring of truth to the us-vs.them class warfare between the lifers and those who are picking up tips until a real job comes along.
But Servitude can’t get beyond the bad-taste jokes and low-budget TV comedy looks and sensibilities. Larded with foul language and fratboy humour, it’s also sadly been done before — remember Ryan Reynolds’ 2005 bomb Waiting?
Josh (a likable Joe Dinicol) is a blogging waiter being urged by his nag of a girlfriend Jenny (Kristen Hager) to quit his job at a kitschy western-themed family steakhouse to enrol in law school. Jenny is hardly alone in being unlikeable; none of the women in Servitude come across very well, whether it’s bitchy waitress Barb (Linda Kash), a shrieking absentee mom, or flaky customer-from-hell Edna (Jayne Eastwood).
Margot Kidder is turned into a 60-something Botoxed harpy with lips so plumped with filler she can hardly speak.
She ends up being the kinky object of desire for a jerk of a waiter named Tommy (John Bregar), whose kink is lusting after older women with pot bellies. This is the same guy who likes to trap his farts in his cupped hands and release them in people’s faces.
Dave Foley plays Godfrey, the hapless milquetoast who runs the restaurant and finds himself having to deal with new corporate overlords after German firm Heindschlap (compete with an Ss-lookalike logo) buys the restaurant. Head office sends in Franz (Enrico Colantoni), a despot with a Hogan’s Heroes- vintage accent, to whip the staff into shape, really just a ruse prior to firing everybody. He keeps demanding to see the ovens.
Servitude is the first project developed through the new Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab, which gave Sparaga access to directors Ivan Reitman ( Ghostbusters) and Donald Petrie ( How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days), along with writer Etan Cohen ( Tropic Thunder, MIB3). So what happened?
The loosely constructed story culminates with a staff revolution in the face of mass layoffs, serving up barfing, gay slurs and all manner of infantile toilet humour along the way.
It’s enough to put you off your food. Which is a good thing. After seeing Servitude you may prefer to dine at home.