Mitch Rouse's "Employee of the Month" was a good discovery. Not having seen it when it was released, we took a chance at it the other night, and it paid off. Mr. Rouse is a man that has worked extensively on television, as well as his co-screen writer, Jay Leggett, who also has a minor role in the film. These men prove they can write and keep their public involved.

The start of the film shows David and Sara toasting to their happiness, something that will be broken in the course of the movie. On the surface, we are watching David at his bank job. He seems to be successful and going places, until he receives the bad news from the bank's director that he is being fired because of his poor performance, when all indicates he is a good employee. On top of that, Sara, who is seen with her parents at a dinner in a restaurant, proceeds to tell him she is walking out on him because she has found out he is having an affair with Wendy, another bank employee, and a friend. How much can a guy take?

The film then changes as David decides to take things into his own hands seeking justice. What we are not prepared for is for the deception on most of the people around, and even David seems to be guided by greed. The surprise ending, in retrospect, seems to make a lot of sense because David is outsmarted by the same ones we didn't have a clue were involved, at all.

Matt Dillon is a good actor to watch. He carries the film because he is the most interesting character of all the ones we meet in the film. Steve Zahn, as the crazy Jack, does amazing things. Christina Applegate and Andrea Bendewald are also good as the duplicitous women who seem to have figured out their men and what make them tick.

The film is great fun. Forget the expectations and just have a good time.

David Walsh (Matt Dillon) has a perfect life: a gorgeous fiancée, Sarah Goodwin (Christina Applegate); a beautiful house; a fancy car; a job of manager in a bank. On the day he expects to be elected "The Employee of the Month", he is fired; Sarah finds that he had an affair with his colleague Wendy (Andrea Bendwald) and calls off their engagement; and a hooker sent by his friend Jack (Steve Zahn) to stay with him in a motel steals his car. On the next day, in his farewell, there is a heist in the bank and he is abducted. But his fate before reaching Nirvana has not finished yet.

While watching "Employee of the Month", I was feeling the story very unpleasant, mostly because of the disgusting character of Jack, and also because of the jinx of David. But suddenly, the story twists with an outrageous and surprising plot point, becoming the perfect bad day of David a masterpiece of black comedy. When I first saw Matt Dillon partially burnt in the beginning of the movie, I believed the actor had had some accident, and only later it was disclosed that the scars were part of his character. The unknown Andrea Bendwald is really a very beautiful woman and has an important participation in the conclusion of the story, inclusive along the credits. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Dia Perfeito" ("The Perfect Day")

First I must give kudos to Steve Zahn and Christina Applegate for their incredible performances. Christina has shown remarkable maturity from early roles and I predict one day may get an Oscar. This dark comedy starts out with our Bank manager or former bank manager riding a bus. After a boring monologue, and sorry attempt at crude humor, the story flashes back 36 hours. David (Matt Dillon) is engaged to Christina. She is clearly out of his league. Steve Zahn is best buddy, a coroner who robs people and hates the establishment. At times he is our voice of reason in this dark comedy. After losing his job and girlfriend in the same day, David is depressed. Steve takes him to a strip club and tells him he needs to start enjoying life. David responds (paraphrase),"You are going to give a bracket that you stole off a corpse to an 18 year old stripper and have sex in the parking lot while snorting crank off a Bowie knife." To which Steve responds, "And your point is?"

The most comical scene is at a restaurant where Christina is breaking up with Matt. Her parents (Dad is a preacher) are there. She reads a letter about the break-up and discusses in some detail, their sex life while mom and dad listen.

The movie ends up with multiple twists at the end which appears eerily similar the opening bank robbery scene in the "The Dark Knight." For those of you who enjoyed the twists and intellect of this movie I would recommend "The Brothers Bloom."