If Management depicts what constitutes a love story in the real world, then romance should be avoided at all costs.
Steve Zahn plays Mike, a motel manager who falls in love with (AKA becomes obsessed with) Jennifer Aniston’s art saleswoman, Sue, while she is passing through on business. Stupidly, in a bout of loneliness she gives in to his creepy attempts to woo her by sleeping with him before flying back home, not realizing how idiotic this act is and how she will have to pay for it later.
As a romantic comedy, Management fails horribly. For starters, it opens up with Mike giving Sue “complimentary” wine (which he says they do for all of the guests). If this moment had ended with passing the bottle through the door, then there would be no problem; however, Sue allows him into her room, and even though I knew better, I couldn’t help but expect him to pull a knife out from behind his back. Hasn’t she seen Vacancy? Or better yet, Psycho? Never trust the staff of a motel. But if you haven’t become weary of everything you have seen in horror films, at least have enough sense not to allow a stranger into your motel room.
Unfortunately the story is riddled with these moments of idiocy, and is overall poorly written and poorly conceived. Mike never moves out of the realm of stalking, often creating an uncomfortable environment for the characters and viewers, and Sue is no better with her lack of self worth. Furthermore, not only are the characters horribly written, but there are even moments when the acting quality starts to decline. And finally, though the story loses its steam by mid-film, it continues to drag on without purpose.
Management is a horrible attempt at a romantic comedy that finds itself falling short of all standards, even those of the Lifetime channel.
Final Grade: D
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