Protraph Lack of good storyline.

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

elshikh4 Last week, my computer had such a horrible virus named Win 32. It destroyed the system, the programs' sources, and some folders. I was in a big disaster; especially when that virus kept returning, whatever how many times I installed a new Windows !This week, I watched (The Promotion), and loved many elements of it. For instance director (Steve Conrad) did a lovely job. He led his actors correctly, and created such a tender sense. This is (Sean William Scott) birth certificate as a mature actor after an age of countless teen, stoner, or dirty anyway comedies (sometimes it was hard to believe that he's the same guy !). (John C. Reilly) is a treat in any movie he does. The soundtrack was really enjoyable, with an ear for the drama. However I felt that something was wrong, deeply wrong, concerning that very drama.The basis of any drama is its conflict. If the conflict of it is strong then the drama is strong, and vice versa. Here, it's the "vice versa" case. Because the conflict between the 2 leading characters was so weak. Rather, it's where the movie's poster has more conflict than the movie itself !(Scott)'s character isn't so wily, in fact he's deep down inside a kind, if not aggrieved, person. So his plans to fight his opponent were between rare, light, and nonexistent, plus he sympathized with his opponent a bit early. (Reilly)'s character was a sack of tears since the start, transforming from weak to weaker as time went by. Therefore he represented the worst opponent a conflict could have had, since he didn't fight back, or fight in the first place !What added more fuel was that the movie forgot to make some effective comedy in the mix. The 2 characters' clashes, if there was any, didn't produce laughs. It only immersed in the "cheese" and "apple" misunderstood jokes ! The script perfects many side characters (the fat employee who eats and drinks all the store's exhibits, the garage's black gang, the gay neighbor who loves music, .. etc). But without exploring them dramatically, exploding proper laughs out of them, or putting appropriate ends for them. Obviously, every character in this movie is enjoyable aside, however in the script's conflict it isn't that active or interactive well. You can say that again about the idea of competition, for a promotion or else, which this movie choose but didn't utilize thrillingly. Frankly, what could be worse than watching a movie while knowing pretty well its end since the start, and not enjoying much during that too ?! I loved the speech of "I'm peanuts", along with the final surprise around (Scott)'s character as an old gymnastics champion. Those were by far the script's "achieved" positive points. Ahh, it seems to be that director (Steve Conrad) ed everything, and – as the movie's writer – forgot the script !(The Promotion) is a delicate movie, but cold as a drama or comedy. Despite having some potentials, the script lost or misused them along the way, seeming as a preparatory writing for a good movie that didn't complete. Well, I think it's easy to understand by now that not tightening, or caring about, the conflict in the drama is the worst Win 32 ever !

Roland E. Zwick A lot of familiar faces keep popping up in the course of "The Promotion," a charming indie comedy set in the outskirts of Chicago.The ever-endearing Seann William Scott (Stifler from the "American Pie" series) plays Doug Stauber, an assistant manager at a grocery store who's having trouble controlling not only his own subordinates but the obnoxious gang who seem to have taken up residence in the parking lot and spend their time harassing the shoppers. When Doug learns that a new franchise is opening soon in the area, he's assured by his current boss that he's a "shoo-in" for the position of manager there - until, that is, Richard Wehlner, a native of Canada, moves to town and becomes Doug's key rival for the spot.Given the premise, "The Promotion" could easily have devolved into one of those broad, lowest-common-denominator farces, filled with obvious sight-gags and over-the-top slapstick. Instead, thanks to a restrained script and subtle direction by Steven Conrad, the movie becomes a genial and gently amusing tale of two equally likable people who are just trying to move ahead a little in the tightly circumscribed world in which they live. Doug and Richard aren't asking for fame and fortune, just a little recognition that they're doing a good job with the resources that have been handed to them. That they are forced to tear one another down in order to achieve that recognition is what gives the movie its poignancy and soul. The movie, thus, becomes that rare tale about competition and rivalry where no one is a villain.In addition to the wonderful lead actors, the cast includes Fred Armisen ("SNL"), Jenna Fischer ("The Office"), Lili Taylor ("Six Feet Under") and Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development").Give this one a chance; it will grow on you.

Enchorde Recap: Doug is the assistant manager at the local Donaldsons. And soon they will be opening a new market, and Doug sees the possibility to step up to full manager. He sees his chance to buy a house, to get happiness for himself and for his girlfriend. And his manager says he is a shoe-in. But suddenly Richard turns up from Canada and provides unexpected competition. Suddenly everything is up for grabs, and both Doug and Richard are determined to grab it. At all costs.Comments: This didn't really live up to my expectations. Truth to be told, I had quite high expectations. But that sort of comes when you have Sean William Scott and John C Reilly as your stars. Both have proved before to be really good at making good comedies, and from the trailer I expected this was another one.Unfortunately, I didn't think this was one of them. I expected it to be high paced one after another. Sure, a lot of them would be rather pointless, and some of them would go over, or should I say under, the line. But I expected that those would be small exceptions. Instead it is the good jokes that seem to be the exception. Not that it is filled with bad jokes either, there just seem to be long stretches of voids in between them. Stretches where both Doug (especially) and Richard dig their respective holes deeper, by themselves. Not because of constantly mischievous scheming, plotting and sabotaging each other, as I got the feeling from the trailer.It does have some good points, but fell at its own hands. They promised a lot more than they could deliver.5/10

Nighthawk1 Not the best comedy I've ever seen, but it had it's moments. Occasionally, I did find something to laugh at during a few scenes. John C. Reilly was was alright but, I expected more from him. Sean William Scott played a push over, a wimp who was the opposite of the American Pie Stifler character that he's known for. I wouldn't classify the movie as deep or profound, but it does have some things to say about ambition and the cost of success. I would characterize the movie as being more mildly comical than outright hilarious. As a whole the movie was rather tepid. Some of the jokes were juvenile and others didn't work. In the end the movie succeeded more than it failed. There was enough going on within the movie to keep my attention. Overall it was run-of-the-mill.