Directed by Joachim Back
The cold, sterile corridors of corporate America have long been a fertile ground for filmmakers to explore themes of ambition, power dynamics, and the soul-crushing monotony of office life. In Corner Office, director Joachim Back takes a dreamy plunge into this familiar landscape, weaving a tale that sways between satire and existential absurdity.
Orson (played by Jon Hamm) is the latest cog in the machine at The Authority, a cheekily named corporation. His days are a blur of gossipy coworkers, a droning boss, and a muted brown suit. But Orson has a secret: during his scheduled breaks, he retreats to a hidden corner office. Unlike the fluorescent, geometric workspace of his colleagues, this mid-century modern oasis is warm, inviting, and inexplicably absent from the company’s floor plan.
Corner Office nails its intended energy with a stark visual tone. The brutalist high-rise housing The Authority stands isolated in a snowed-in parking lot, a monument to stark neutrality. The film’s coldness mirrors that of its lead, Orson, who navigates the corporate maze with detachment and inflexibility. Hamm’s deadpan delivery of Orson’s inner monologue evokes shades of “American Psycho,” adding a layer of dark humor.
As Orson’s productivity soars within the corner office’s wood-paneled walls, his co-workers grow suspicious. They insist the room doesn’t exist, plunging Orson into a hostile work environment. Is it a figment of his imagination, a glitch in the corporate matrix, or a portal to another dimension? Back keeps us guessing, and the tension builds as Orson’s grip on reality slips.
Initially, the film’s voiceovers—Orson’s inner dialogue—provide sharp wit and insight. Hamm’s delivery is impeccable, capturing the character’s arrogance and social ineptitude. Corner Office is a sometimes-funny satire and while it doesn’t fully deliver on its promise at being a cult classic comedy, Jon Hamm’s portrayal keeps it afloat. As Orson wrestles with the elusive corner office, we’re left pondering our own place in the corporate maze. Is success found in conformity or rebellion? Back’s film invites us to explore the corners of our own existence, even if they’re not on the floor plan.
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
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