Like A Boss movie review: Salma Hayek has never been this forgettable than in this big bowl of nothingness

Language: English One of those movies that make it abundantly clear why it released in the Hollywood dustbin of January, Like a Boss offers not one single redeemable moment in its fire hose of frivolity. [caption id=“attachment_7892271” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Salma Hayek in a still from Like A Boss. YouTube[/caption] You will be hard pressed to figure out how anyone assumed it would be a good idea for audience to consume such low-quality cinema.   Directed by Miguel Arteta, Like a Boss contains none of the sensitivity or the experimental nature of his style from his previous work. Instead, what we get here is a bargain bin slapstick comedy with bottom-of-the-barrel one liners and an odd plasticity, that makes it all an unwatchable garish mess. We are introduced to best buds Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne), who start a business together but find themselves in massive debt. An angel investor shows up in the form of Claire (Salma Hayek), who seems like a dream-come-true but quickly turns into a proper nightmare.  

The biggest problem with the movie is it is just not funny on any level, but frantically tries to be. One can smell the desperation wafting in the air as the lead trio find themselves in increasingly puerile situations, and the actors’ real life classy personas are juxtaposed to the stupidity of their characters.

It never once works, not even in the moments when two characters talk about having sex dreams about Barack Obama. A couple of fleeting moments of chuckles arise from Jennifer Coolidge, whom you may recognise as Stiffler’s mom from the American Pie movies, but she repeats the over-sexed trait shtick, to obviously much lesser results. While Haddish and Byrne are just about okay, Hayek has never been this forgettable, despite appearing in an outsize glamorous awful superior avatar, but carrying none of the amusing nastiness of Meryl Streep from The Devil Wears Prada.   Questions like who is this movie for, why was it made, why are you stuck in this theater watching it, where is the nearest exit, and what time does this boring drivel get over will often pop up as the film gets more and more sloppy as it goes along. It is not even fun enough junk to enjoy over some herbal materials, nor is it worthy of a lazy afternoon watch over a streaming service – it is just a big bowl of nothingness that never commits to anything it presents – themes of friendship, horrible bosses, business ethics, gross-out gags or stoner comedy. In fact, it often feels like a fake trailer from Grindhouse movies that seems to promise it would end soon, but just does not. Any other movie that is just 80 minutes long would be lauded for not wasting the audience’s time, but Like a Boss is just obvious plain trolling from careless people who are cashing paychecks at your expense.   Rating: *