The Promotion. Out tomorrow on DVD. (*****5/10)
The Promotion comes out today, September 9th, courtesy of Alliance Films. It’s a remarkably understated film, considering the two lead actors - Seann William Scott (Stiffler from American Pie) and John C. Reilly (Dewey Cox in Walk Hard). Scott is the assistant manager at a grocery store, and when the store expands, he figures he’s a shoo-in for the full manager job at the new location. We are to assume that the difference in salary between a grocery store assistant manager and a full manager is massive. Apparently, the assistant manager can barely afford the produce on his own shelves, whereas a full manager can afford to buy a house and a Rolls Royce. But soon, Scott has competition for that manager’s position, from John C. Reilly who is another assistant manager who has just arrived from Quebec.
The Promotion quickly becomes a rivalry between Reilly and Scott, where they subtly attempt to subvert each other in the eyes of the Big Bosses, a bunch of suits who are in town to pick a new manager for the new location. And the key word there is “subtly”. The Promotion is reminiscent of many other movies, most of them dreadful, like Employee Of The Month. And thankfully, this film stays away, for the most part, from cheap laughs and over-the-top stupidity. That doesn’t mean The Promotion is great. Or even good. Frankly, it’s pretty average. All it really means is that it’s better than Employee Of The Month. Yeah…