by Kevin Muller

For some actors, they can have an on-screen persona that, if they play their cards right, could provide them with a lucrative career. Both Michael Cera and Jon Hamm gained notoriety through television roles that you couldn’t imagine anyone else playing. In the 2003 classic comedy show Arrested Development, Cera played the awkward George Michael. His performance comprised of making a situation more uncomfortable by attempting jokes that weren’t funny, delivered with no confidence, or at worst, a combination of the two. Despite that, the character was lovably weird. As the mysterious and magnetic Don Draper, Jon Hamm turned up the charisma and charm up to 100. As the show moved forward, the performance then became a mix tragedy and self-pity.

Don Draper was a part of the show Mad Men, which took place in the post-war era of the 1950’s. One of better aspects of the show was the attention to detail. Offices looked like those photos people would see in magazines depicting the lifestyles of the elite. In Corner Office, there is a scene where Orson, played by Hamm, stands there taking in the power of the mysterious room. The set is extremely reminiscent of the one from the show, maybe it was reused, but the once stoic and powerful aura that was around Hamm, is replaced with one that belongs to someone who would only dream of being a bit like Draper. While in The Adults, Cera is using his persona as an outer layer of an emotionally broken inner-self.   

Writer and director Dustin Guy Defa knows exactly what he is doing with Cera. The actor plays Eric, who is coming home to visit his two sisters Maggie and Rachel. Rachel, played by Hannah Gross, has taken over their childhood home. Both the parents have passed. While Rachel is bitter, Maggie is the ray of sunshine that the family needs.   Sophia Lillis, from the recent IT movies, plays the younger misguided sister. The energy between the three is forced and awkward, but there is a feeling of love there. This is because they have their own language. As with many siblings, inside jokes and other silly things from childhood are what defines each individual dynamic. To say that these three are committed to the bit would be an understatement. Defa has scenes where it goes on way longer than you’d think, especially when the three have an argument at a party that makes them bring out these muppet like voices. While it does get a bit tiresome, it is a perfect way to communicate the ways these three avoid anything real.   Eric is stoic as his father was, not comfortable with opening to Rachel and Maggie. The difference is that he hides behind humor. You get glimpses of why he high tailed out of there, with one being connected to the poker games that him and his friends used to participate in. His eagerness, with reliving poker nights with his friends, who have all grown up, is a bit alarming. Cera’s typical nervous energy fares well here as a caricature of someone we all know, the guy who yearns for his glory days. During one of these games, Cera tells an emotional story, which turns out to be a joke, but for a while, you believe the genuine nature of what he is saying, especially when the tears drop. As with the other players, you feel the sense of betrayal from that very moment. It is moments like these that make the film work.

Joachim Black’s film is a lot less grounded than The Adults. Based upon the short story The Room, by Jonas Karlsson, it is a film that constantly makes you question if what you are seeing is real or not. Does this mysterious room, located in the corner of a typical office floor, have the power than Orson claims? Is he walking into this place or, as all his coworkers say, just weirdly standing there and looking at the wall? When he is in there, Orson comes up with great ideas, so it must be real, right? This all feels like an episode of The Twilight Zone, with strong ideas both benefiting and arguing against Orson’s sanity. The presentation is cold and odd, but effective with the story that it is trying to sell. At times, it comes off a little too aloof. So much that it may turnoff viewers, but it is a film that you should stick with. The ending, while some may find predictable, does have a real sense of emotion to it. Hamm does frantic energy so well. Even his costume choices are on point. He has a frumpy and messy appearance. Worst of all, his personality is as bland and sterile as the film’s look. We hear his narrated thoughts throughout the film. For those of you who have seen AppleTV’s show, Severance, you will feel at home. Sarah Gadon plays a pretty receptionist who catches the eye of Orson. Should he tell her the truth? Is she ready to see the office? She seems good natured but also has the artificial nature about her when she smiles and greets people.   That’s her job though, right? Hamm keeps challenging himself so much that people are going to forget that he was once the suave Draper.   

Both actors are doing fantastic work in their individual films, which are a step outside the norm, with The Adults is more accessible. That isn’t a knock against Corner Office, which requires the need for patience. These are two smaller films that have challenging themes and that little extra that make them stand out.

I am giving The Adults a 3.5 out of 5 Hairpieces!

I am giving Corner Office a 3 out of 5 Hairpieces!

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