Movie Review: “The Boss” deserves a demotion!

MOVIE REVIEW: “THE BOSS” (R)

Melissa McCarthy can be a dynamic force of comical nature on screen, there’s no doubt about that. You don’t need to look past her collaborations with Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids,” “The Heat,” “Spy”) to recognize this. Furthermore, movies like “St. Vincent” have gone on to show that’s there’s a lot more to this woman than her obvious comical chops.

Unfortunately, “The Boss” represents a bit of a step backwards. This isn’t to say that this flick doesn’t have a few funny moments. It does, but on the whole, this is the kind of disposable, clumsy, simple-minded fare you’d like to see McCarthy stay away from. Unfortunately  though, not only did she not stay away from this project, she co-wrote it! Sadder still, she penned the movie with her husband, Ben Falcone, who also directed the picture.

In “The Boss,” McCarthy is Michelle Darnell, an obnoxious blowhard of a woman from humble beginnings who, by way of hard work and stomping on the lives of the people who helped get her there, eventually becomes a highly regarded industry titan. You reap what you sow, though, and Darnell learns this message the hard way after she’s busted for insider trading. After serving a rather light sentence, Darnell hopes to start anew but is shocked to discover that there’s no one on the outside who’s willing to help her reach her former glory days. After a bit of prodding, a convincing Darnell persuades her sweet-natured ex-assistant, Claire, to quit her job and go into business in what both women hope will be a lucrative brownie-baking venture. Things go a bit awry, however, when an ambitious business mogul (Peter Dinklage) from Darnell’s turbulent past comes into the picture, and he’s got quite the ax to grind.

Michelle Darnell is not a very likable character, and while “The Boss” suggests there’s a reason for her abrasive, untrusting, seemingly uncaring nature (as was the case with McCarthy’s role in “Identity Theft”),  it’s taxing spending 90 minutes with someone this selfish. McCarthy works hard to make the character likable, but even a flimsily executed personality change during the final act feels relatively weak. There simply isn’t much of an arc here. Still, McCarthy does provide the movie with a handful of laugh-out loud moments. High among them is a scene in which Michelle helps single mom Claire get ready for a date and another in which the ex-industry titan recklessly forces Claire’s young daughter, Rachel (Ella Anderson), to watch “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” There’s a bit of much-needed physical schtick, too. Watch as Michelle wrestles with a couch bed and loses. Also, watch as a surprisingly limber Darnell does gymnast-caliber body flips on a top-secret mission. True, it’s quite obviously a stunt woman performing these crazy acrobatic maneuvers, but it’s still a hilarious sight to behold. If only Michelle’s amusing moments outweighed her irritating moments. They don’t.

On the flipside, we have the wonderful Kristen Bell. She plays the straight woman to McCarthy’s loose cannon, and she’s pretty adorable here. Despite Claire being a paper-thin character, Bell’s natural likability helps make the proceedings far more tolerable than they might have been otherwise, and it should also be noted that she and McCarthy do have a pleasant onscreen rapport.

The rest of the cast is hit and miss. Peter Dinklage is more creepy than funny. The great Kathy Bates isn’t really in the movie enough to warrant forming an opinion one way or the other. Tyler Labine (of “Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil” fame) is charming as an office worker sweet on Claire, but the script calls for him to partake in a couple of obscene gags in the final act, gags that feel completely out of character, and clearly they’re all in the name of a few meaningless cheap laughs.

And there are plenty of cheap (and labored) laughs to be found in “The Boss.” Said cheap laughs only add to the overall clumsy nature of this generic comedy. It’s a shame, too, because there’s a lot of great talent working hard to elevate the material.

Ben Falcone can be a funny dude, and you’d think he’d be the perfect guy to direct “The Boss,” because who could possibly be more in touch with McCarthy’s comical gifts than her own husband? Here’s hoping that their next collaboration, the soon-to-shoot “Life of the Party,” is a step in the right direction, because “The Boss” deserves a demotion.