Management" is offbeat in the desert heat.Moving from the Arizona desert to Baltimore to the Pacific Northwest, the film doesn't need boundaries to tell its quirky story of unlikely love. Jennifer Aniston, going indie as she does from time to time, plays Sue, a seller of motel room paintings. Sue lands in a small motel in Arizona for a couple of nights during a business trip
On first glance at Sue, Mike (Steve Zahn), the son of the mote's owners, is smitten. He begins a strained and slightly uncomfortable flirtation with Sue, hoping to somehow charm her before her short stay is finished. She's a little flustered and maybe slightly concerned about his advances, but seeking to challenge her take-no-chances persona, makes an impromptu decision to advance the relationship, if only briefly.
Then she's gone. Convinced he has found The One, Mike pursues Sue across the country, then back, seeking to persuade her of their inevitable destiny. Looking for her own destiny, Sue reunites with ex-boyfriend Jango (Woody Harrelson), a former punk rocker who is now a yogurt mogul.
Sue seeks to lead Jango's charitable foundation, but the trade-off is a relationship with a man who is still a boy. Is she better off with Mike? Mike thinks so, and keeps up his pursuit, against all odds. Eventually, Sue must make the choice.
"Management" is a quieter, nonflamboyant romantic comedy with a slight edge, some darkness and loneliness making its way in. Because we know Aniston and Zahn, we are carried by their familiar charisma, even if they are an unlikely match. Bypassing big events in favor of the small and curious moments that sometimes surprise us in life, "Management" makes some good decisions, even if they do cause us to scratch our heads a little.
