23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of The Funniest Films I Have Ever Seen, January 16, 2002
This review is from: Haiku Tunnel (DVD)
Josh Kornbluth (Josh Kornbluth), ambles from temp job to temp job as he contemplates writing the Great American novel. He is perfectly content to take these jobs, because, as he points out, he's a really good temp. They also allow him the freedom to concentrate on other things. Yes, he has to live in a small dump of an apartment in the Mission District in "San Franclisco" (a `fictional' town, the setting for his `fictional' story, but he actually enjoys his life. Then he accepts a temp assignment working for Bob Shelby (Warren Keith) at the law firm of Schuyler & Mitchell. Josh notices strange things at S & M, but he goes about his assignment. Then Marlina D'Amore (Helen Shumaker), the head Secretary, asks Josh if he wants "to go perm?" Josh accepts and everything begins to unravel.
"Haiku Tunnel" is simply one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long, long time.
Josh Kornbluth reportedly developed a one-man show called "Haiku Tunnel" based on his adventures as a Legal Temp. He and his brother Jacob worked for a long time to turn the play into a film. The film, directed by the Kornbluth Brothers works amazingly well. We follow Josh's adventures as he wades through the bureaucracy of office life and John frequently takes us aside to share his observations.
Every character in the film is pitch perfect. If you have ever worked at a law firm, in an office or for a temp agency, you will most likely recognize the people. Bob Shelby is easily one of the funniest characters ever created for a film and Warren Keith is brilliant in bringing the stoic, emotionless lawyer to life. He almost steals every scene he is in. This is quite an accomplishment considering the actor playing against him, Josh Kornbluth, created the character. Keith's monotone is very evocative of a supervisor who wants to do a great job, expects his employees to do a great job, but can't quite summon the will to enforce this desire.
Josh Kornbluth is hilarious playing a character that he goes to great pains to try to convince the audience is fictional. He makes frequent observations, which is usually a technique that is sure to annoy me, but his observations are very funny, very accurate and well-timed. He has to deal with the stigma of being a temp, the quick revelation of going perm, his various office workers, office machines, procrastination, artificial environments, desperate office celebrations, security guards and computer professionals who work all hours. There isn't a single joke in the film which doesn't create a laugh.
Marlina D'Amore, played by Helen Shumaker, is also perfect. Slightly condescending, finally embracing the role of mother to the office, she walks around with an all-knowing, silent attitude which is simply a marvel to behold. "Josh, would you like to go... perm?"
Mindy, Clifford and DaVonne (Amy Resnick, Brian Thorstenson and June Lomena respectively) are the three other secretaries in the office. Each is a perfect example of a specific type of office worker you have already met. Each is well-thought out and very unique. It is unusual to have this level of detail for the individual characters in any film. These three have been in the office long enough to recognize all of the ins and outs. "She's a pusher" and "Hi, Josh. So we hear you went Perm?" are just two of their many funny lines.
"Haiku Tunnel" is a rare thing. The pitch perfect, consistently funny and inventive comedy.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Laugh Out Loud Funny, October 11, 2001
Laugh out loud funny, Haiku Tunnel is a dry and witty look at the universe of the temporary employee and how that world is effected when a job becomes permanent. At the center of Haiku Tunnel is Josh Kornbluth, a 'fictional character' played by writer director Josh Kornbluth who narrates, comments, and pontificates about his life as a temp. Kornbluth is somewhere between Woody Allen, Spaulding Grey and Dilbert with a profound sense of comic timing.
One of the stand-out aspects of Haiku Tunnel is Kornbluth's spot-on characterizations of the different type of office people, especially the head secretary of S&M (a law firm), Marlina, played brilliantly by Helen Shumaker. Kornbluth goes beyond the office stereotypes and instead of portraying his fellow co-workers and bosses as 'evil' he manages to find the quirky element in each one which makes them endearing.
It's easy to want to draw comparisons between The Haiku Tunnel and a movie like Office Space but the two films are more different than alike. Haiku Tunnel ultimately is less about working in an office, and more about feeling impermanent and transitionary. When it does lampoon the working world, the results are hilarious, but the real core comes out of Josh's search for himself. Haiku Tunnel is extremely funny and completely enjoyable, and I highly recommend it. [Geoffrey Kleinman,
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a hoot., December 12, 2002
This review is from: Haiku Tunnel (DVD)
I saw this movie on HBO. When the movie started, I did not think much of Josh Kornbluth, I did not find him engaging.
However, as the film progressed, I found myself laughing, several times out loud. The next day, I thought of scenes in the movie and found myself laughing over and over again.
The beginning of the movie does not seem to lead someone to believe that this is going to be a rip-roaring, laughfest, but in fact it was.
The trials and tribulations faced by this character is mountains made out of molehills, with the infamous 17 letters. The secretaries are funny, all the attorneys named Bob are funny, and the oldest bike courier in the world is funny.
I really can not say enough great things about this film.
It is a quiet comedy and requires some thought and careful attention. But it will have you chuckling for days.
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