A wild, provocative vision in ‘Sorry to Bother You’
Writer and director Boots Riley’s crackling first film “Sorry to Bother You” may just be the craziest movie of the year. Fierce, provocative and bold, it’s a challenging social statement about race and capitalism wrapped in a colorful, magical realist coating that will leave your head spinning. It is not perfect — far from it — and really goes off the rails at the end, but its ideas and impact are undeniable.
The brilliant Lakeith Stanfield stars as Cassius Green, a young man living with his artist-activist girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson) in his uncle’s garage in Oakland, California. He’s behind on his rent and desperately needs a job. In an interview at a telemarketing agency, RegalView, he touts his accomplishments from jobs past and has even brought an employee of the month placard from one of his gigs, like a kid at show and tell.
But while this image might tug at some heartstrings, it’s not as simple as it looks. The man behind the desk knows Cassius, or Cash as many of his friends call him, is lying. He’s fabricated his resume and gotten his friend to pose as a former supervisor. But the recruiter is impressed with his initiative and hires him on the spot. Besides, he says, telemarketing doesn’t require any skills.
The RegalView offices are in a dreary, soul-crushing basement, packed to the brim with row upon row of cubicle-bound workers making unsolicited phone calls trying to sell encyclopedias to unappreciative customers. The film illustrates this invasive process in a wildly funny way, showing Cash and his entire cubicle drop into the living room or kitchen of whomever he is calling.
Work is not going well for Cash, until a friendly co-worker, Langston (Danny Glover), leans over and suggests he use his “white voice” (not a “Will Smith white voice,” he clarifies). So Cash begins speaking in a higher pitched, nasally voice that is unmistakable as the unique vocal stylings of David Cross and, well, it works. Really, really well. Suddenly Cash is making sales, catching the attention of his bosses and on track to get a big promotion to “Power Caller” that would get him out of the basement.
Stanfield, who is always memorable no matter how big the role, from “Short Term 12”
to “Get Out,” delivers a powerful show prison-like conditions, performance as Cassius with crowded bunk beds and in his oppression, his empowerment slop for food, but the actors and eventual enlightenment. are all happy and healthy and Both he and Thompson promise that the food is great. effortlessly maintain their It might not be subtle, but it characters’ integrity even as sure is memorable. the narrative gets exponentially If you’re thinking that this crazier as the film goes on. And all sounds like a lot, it is. And it only gets crazier. “Sorry to Bother You” has a lot
Cash’s ascent does not come more to say about exploitative without some moral compromise capitalist systems, white privilege, and in accepting the fancy black bodies, protest art new position, he not only becomes and even viral videos. While a scab while his former it doesn’t always work, Riley co-workers strike, but he’s also has clearly held nothing back decided to turn a blind eye to and after 25+ years of using his the fact that he’s now essentially voice and unique point of view hawking slave labor for a in the world of hip-hop, this is company called WorryFree, run as audacious an entry into the by an arrogant bro-CEO played world of feature filmmaking as by Armie Hammer. one could possibly make. Hopefully
WorryFree preys on the it won’t be his last. poor, promising a life without “Sorry to Bother You,” an bills or commutes in exchange Annapurna Pictures release, for a lifetime labor contract is rated R by the Motion Picture working for the company and Association of America living on the factory grounds. for “pervasive language, some Sunny advertisements, which strong sexual content, graphic play on the breaks of a TV nudity, and drug use.” Running game show called “I Got The time: 105 minutes. Three stars (Expletive) Kicked Out of Me,” out of four.
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