Sorry to Bother You

 

The movie “Sorry to Bother You” is a mildly offensive yet totally deranged social commentary on minority life in Oakland, California.  All the social ills of being underprivileged and a victim of discrimination are magnified out of proportion and then shoved between the lines of a surrealistic plot that removes all middle ground from beneath the hapless hero.

 

A young attractive couple are down on their luck living in a garage owned by an intolerant uncle.  Unable to pay the rent, the hero unsuccessfully fakes a resume in order to become a telemarketer.   He only succeeds because there are no job qualifications and even less pay.

 

The heroine does her part to survive as well joyfully working twirling an advertisement sign on her street corner.

 

The central theme seems to be that White Society may have all the money and power but is also cursed with an incongruous insanity that lends a sort of moral superiority to the downtrodden.  Since a middle class living is denied them, dreams of fantastic wealth are their only source of hope.  By cultivating a “white voice”, the hero rises through the ranks of telemarketing to the highest levels.  This attendant affluence is much welcomed but also drastically alters his circle of friends and associates.   The down side is that rich white folks are not only more crazy but also more deranged and dangerous than society at large.

 

The end of the movie with its genetic experiments confirm the worst fears of the cowering masses of the underprivileged.   All in all this totally weird production is nevertheless an interesting commentary on minority fears and insecurities and even injustice.   So with some hesitation, if your tastes are sufficiently broad to tolerate the absurd, this is an interesting slice of life I can recommend.