User reviews

Mike (Steve Zahn) is a hapless young man stuck in Arizona; Sue (Jennifer Aniston) is a young career woman on the move all over the country. He thinks he has something special with her but she just views his actions as inappropriate.

Aniston's Sue comes across as mature and diplomatic—very different than Rachel and her other recent characters. While Steve Zahn's character was very well written. He's very awkward and inexperienced around women and his use of words shows that perfectly and humorously. He's also very observant and a good judge of character. These characteristics help him build a connection with Sue and move the film forward.

At times, the structure of the story drags the film down a bit. The beginning is about introducing the characters and the second half has a more active plot when we meet Sue's on-again, off-again, and on-again boyfriend Janga (Woody Harrelson) and Mike gets closer to sorting out his life. The two halves aren't connected as well as they could have been but there is a bit of subdued humour sprinkled throughout.

"Management" is just a romantic comedy, but it has better written humour than most in the genre and much better written characters. I recommend it for its cute performances by Aniston and Zahn and for the little bit of inspiration that such real and developed characters can provide.

"Management" isn't necessarily a bad film -- I just found it entirely disengaging. Judging from some of the early feedback, I was expecting a sweet (if predictable) "indie" romantic comedy. I'm not a big fan of Jennifer Aniston, but she plays her types of roles well enough, and Steve Zahn proved with "Rescue Dawn" that he's an underrated actor.

My problem with "Management" is that it plays into the quirky subgenre clichés far too easily. I'd bet the director is a big Hal Ashby or Mike Nichols fan -- this comes off like an uneasy mix of "Harold and Maude" and "The Graduate." Its protagonist is a borderline stalker.

That's not inherently negative, but I just felt like there was no real spark between Aniston and Zahn. The whole thing felt very...calculated. It wasn't naturally offbeat -- and, as a result, I was left wondering why we're supposed to feel any type of entertainment in watching these people.

First of all, I'd like to start by saying that I'm not a frequent movie comments writer, or any other sort of writer apart from my academic essays, hence, the lack of experience or proper writing structure which, more than probably would be blatant to a knowledgeable reader. However, I'm more than passionate about cinematography and I do believe without a shadow of a reasonable doubt that I've developed a fine taste for my viewing themes.

That said, I'm more than willingly commenting on this movie is because I have read an unjust and undermining comment about it right after I've watched it. So, the reasons I'd like to point out why this movie is more than a decent flick and contradict the over demanding (perhaps) commentator are:

A. It's a comedy slash romance flick (for crying out loud). So, it's quite obvious that if you are going to see this with expectations of such grandiose productions as of, in my opinion, Citizen Kane and 12 Angry Men, or Schindler's List, then you would more than likely be quite disappointed.

B. From where I stand, the casting was ingenious. In other words, it couldn't have been better (surprisingly enough since I've never appreciated Jenny as an actress, but this was just her ideal role).

C. The story is not over exaggerated which adds to its credibility. It's simple, well digestible and, not just funny, but harmfully hilarious at some points. On top of that, it's heart warming and free of "superficial additives".

D. The whole execution was flawless, starting from acting to photography and visual/audio presentation.

And, to rap things up, compared to its own kind, this flick stands in the top 10. So, it's a must see for sure.

Jennifer Aniston plays Sue Claussen, a lonely traveling saleswoman. In one of her trips she checks in in a roadside motel in Arizona.Mike,played by Steve Zahn, is the son of the owners and he feels attracted to her immediately.Trough little schemes Mike succeeds in seducing Sue and they spend a night together. Eventually Sue checks out of the motel;however Mike can't let go of her and flies across the country to meet her. There is a lot more to the story but I don't want to give anything away.But make no mistake, this indie is much more then your typical romantic comedy.It bursts with originality,humor and sweetness.Both Mike and Sue are looking for something meaningful in life but while Mike pursues what he wants(in this case,Sue) Sue holds back fearing for the complications of being involved with someone like Mike and for the complications of life itself. The soundtrack was good and Mrs. Aniston had plenty of charisma as always but the film belongs undeniably to Steve Zahn. Amazing performance. He plays Mike in a way that its impossible not to feel devoted for his character.

7/10

Management is the worst movie I have ever seen! I cannot believe anyone recommended this film. The story line is overly long and has no real point. The acting is sub-par in every aspect. All interaction between the characters is awkward and unbelievable. In fact, the entire film is unbelievable. It is hard to describe all of my disappointment. Throughout the movie after every scene I kept thinking the movie is going to really "start" any minute, but unfortunately it remains boring and dumb. Its shocking because I like Jennifer Aniston in other films, but can't imagine what she thought was appealing in this script. In summary, I strongly suggest you pluck your eyes out if the other option is watching this movie!

I didn't believe either of the main characters. Not for a minute.

Sue is in her rental car, leaving the motel for the airport, and suddenly turns around in order to have sex with Mike on a laundry room table? What!? I was waiting for Mike to ask Sue at some later point: "What exactly were you thinking when you came into that laundry room? Were you thinking at all?" And the Sue-Jango relationship is inexplicable. Is Sue that desperate to do charity work? Are charitable organizations unwilling to hire her?

As for Mike, is he a naive, lost puppy looking for love, or the possessor of deep insights into the human psyche? He can't be both. (And how does a first-time skydiver hit his target that precisely?)

In short, the story is an unbelievable mess. Its only saving grace is the innate likability of Aniston and Zahn (who established a similar persona in "That Thing You Do!").

In watching this film I felt the same way I did when I first saw Kevin Costner's "Fandango". This is a quirky film with quirky characters you can't help but love. Steve Zahn plays the lead with a subtle sweetness and innocence only he can pull off. He's one of those people who don't seem to have that built in stop button which prevents them from doing something extreme, yet even at his most extreme, you never seem to be intimidated by him. His lonely maintenance man working for his parents at their run-down Arizona motel, meets up with an inhibited, attractive travelling sales woman who is clearly trying to find her identity, but is too afraid of taking a chance. Jennifer Anniston proves time and time again she can handle any role to come her way, and understands this character. What I thought would be a run of the mill romantic comedy, turns out to be a thoughtful character study with it's share of tender moments.

Easy movie,showing that finally the best things in life are the simple things.Steve Zahn acted nicely his touching role,same as Fred Ward.Jennifer Aniston's eyes are so expressive,no need to say about the rest...if you know what i mean.She gave the movie a boost only by playing her role showing her talent in specific scenes.I believe that this movie could have stayed more in the sentimental and emotional part,also by adding a little cosmopolitan aura in it,a field that suits perfect to Mrs Aniston's style and class in the screen.Also Mr Zahn's simple attitude in the movie(a thing that is charming in a world especially in the city where everybody is so busy making a show off his ego whenever he finds the time)became indeed to childish,which i thing it was unnecessary.However,if it wouldn't have been this way,it could have been almost the same like other movies of this kind.

Starts of in a weird-suspicion filled smiley way and switches to a constant smile throughout, Management was fun, easy to relate too but one of the flaws was the character development taking it's own sweet time and the ending was quite predictable and questionable. Steve's character looking like a lost needy person stuck and yes he portrays it quite well. Jennifer's style quotient and oomph factor also giving glamour to his role and that part of the screen...where ever she was, But in all, I guess it was solely Steve Zahn smile and acting and Jennifer's you-know-what having a whole frame that pulled this movie through. An OK movie and not a complete waste of time. I'd give it a clean 6.6/10

Wow dude this man is awesome...your grandma must be really rich!

Mike (Steve Zahn) works at his parents' (Margo Martindale, Fred Ward) roadside motel. Sue (Jennifer Aniston) sells art for office buildings. She's passing through for the night. He's a lonely loser who falls for the cold lonely woman. He tries his best to connect. She's also strange in her own way. Just maybe they're perfect for each other.

It's a very predictable low budget indie. Nobody is really stretching their acting skills. Steve Zahn does this lovable loser character often while Aniston plays the same cold superior woman with a heart if only she's willing to open up. Writer/director Stephen Belber has created some quirky moments, but none of them are truly gut busters. It does take a wild left turn later on with Woody Harrelson. It's not any funnier although James Hiroyuki Liao is a fun sidekick.

What a total waste of time. If you want your relationship to suffer serious damage visit this 'romantic comedy'.

Why? There's no chemistry whatsoever between the main characters, Jennifer Aniston who plays Sue Claussen, a lonely traveling saleswoman and Mike a lonely Night manager in a hotel, played by Steve Zahn. The 'jokes' are not remotely funny, unless you consider Steve skydiving into the pool of Sue funny. Mediocre acting, apart from Woody Harrison and James Hiroyuki Liao who still do a decent job . Badly written unoriginal script.

How this movie can score a 6.5 is a total mystery to me.

No, I'd never heard of it either, but decided to give it a chance. It starts a bit slowly. Once the two main characters meet, engage in some interesting, unpredictable non-sex, and some sex, they separate, and the question is: will she appreciate the few good qualities the lumpen night manager has, and get to know him? Or will she pursue her dry, empty career and/or marry her hideous boyfriend(Harrelson)? The performances are good and close to believable-with the possible exception of Woody Harrelson, whose character is not as well-written as Zahn's or Aniston's. He seems to serve as combination villain and comedy relief, like Long John Silver. Anyway, in spite of seeing J. Aniston's face everywhere, I think she can act, and she's convincing here.

Trivia: It's set in Kingman, Arizona, Aberdeen, Washington, and parts of Maryland, but filmed almost entirely in Oregon(Eastern=Arizona; western=everywhere else) except for some stock overhead footage of Baltimore.

Love the chemistry between Zahn and Aniston. This is such a simple story done well. The characters are so lovable and fun to watch. Definitely worth watching.

Steve Zahn deserves to be a more celebrated actor. Reminiscent here of Michael J. Fox in his "Secret of My Success" period (though a much fuller presence and more comically dogged), Zahn takes a very thin script about a ne'er-do-well in love and actually makes something engaging out of it. Stuck working in his father's motel, Zahn has a fling with a fledgling art dealer (a nicely low-keyed Jennifer Aniston) and instantly feels this woman is his soul-mate. She has other plans, of course, but that doesn't stop our hero--he knows without a shadow of a doubt she could easily grow to love him, despite mounting obstacles. Advertised as a comedy with potentially edgy quirks, "Management" covers that territory and then commendably goes a different route. It isn't much more than a sketch in hindsight, though Zahn manages to infuse the picture with heart. He upstages a strong supporting cast with a three-dimensional performance which goes beyond the atypical puppy dog-looks and manic gestures. Writer-director Stephen Belber keeps Zahn reigned in and allows him to be human--and when the moment comes and the actor has to knock one outta the park, he does so without shrillness or strain. It's a star-making turn. **1/2 from ****

The only reason I saw this movie was because I was on a 15 hour flight and this was one of the movies remaining on there. I had not even heard of this movie (much less seen it) - and after watching I said "it figures". A mish-mash, wandering, meandering, rom-com with very little comedic content. Steve Zahn and Jennifer Anniston have no chemistry - why she would jump into the sack with him is a mystery. Woody Harrelson has played the punk role too many times, he basically sleepwalks through it. There were a couple of funny scenes - the buddhist monks and the Chinese restaurant were somewhat funny. Overall the movie was a waste of time though.