Management chronicles the chance meeting of Mike Cranshaw (Zahn) and Sue Claussen (Aniston) when she checks into the roadside motel owned by Mike’s parents in Arizona. A bottle of wine ‘compliments of management’ jump starts the cross-country journey and unique courtship between two different kinds of people who are both ultimately looking for the same thing – a sense of happiness. Mike sees something special in button downed Sue that inspires him to take a chance and hit the road to go after her. But once he reaches Maryland, he finds that Sue has no place for an aimless dreamer in her carefully ordered life. Obsessed with making a difference in the world, Sue falls back in with her punk-turned-Yogurt mogul ex-boyfriend Jango (Harrelson), who promises her a chance to head his charity operations. But having finally found something worth fighting for, Mike puts his hops against her practicality, and the two embark on a twisted, bumpy, ultimately freeing journey to discover that their place in the world just might be together.

Playwright-turned-filmmaker Stephen Belber (he adapted his work Tape for Richard Linklater) looks to register a fall hit with his first movie, a comedy that will appeal to Aniston fans who like her best in offbeat roles. Paired with Zahn, it’s almost like Rachel is winding the clock back to when she hung out with Ron Livingston and Jake Gyllenhaal. But will Josh Lucas (of all people) steal the show as a porn star who gives his buddy Zahn some advice?

Rated R for language.

Director: Stephen Belber
Stars: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: 15 May 2009 (USA)
Genre: Comedy, Romance

A professional man (Smith) who is close to suicide for his role in an auto accident that claimed the lives of seven people finds a reason to live, and to atone, when he falls for a woman (Dawson) who wants to help him deal with his grief.

Prepare to feel depressed, then uplifted, for a second time by Will Smith and his Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino. Just like in Hancock, a hidden story angle that will reveal itself in time; equally concealed — make that non-existent — are any early-bird nominations for Smith’s performance, which has been tipped for his third Best-Actor nomination.

There must have been tremendous pressure on greenish screenwriter Grant Nieporte to deliver, and I’ve seen plenty of support for his script. I thought Happyness’ screenplay was wispy, but that didn’t prevent it from international success, so I have to surmise that Smith’s bulletproof career is in no danger of taking a dent this holiday season, even if he made a few enemies in LA this time around.

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing content and a scene of sensuality.