A frothy wish-fulfillment comedy that takes a few wildly unpredictable turns, “Spin Me Round” serves up an al dente satire of corporate retreat culture by following the manager of a popular pasta r…
A frothy wish-fulfillment comedy that takes a few wildly unpredictable turns, “Spin Me Round” serves up an al dente satire of corporate retreat culture by following the manager of a popular pasta restaurant on an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy, where nothing goes as she expected.
But Baena has a far more subversive sensibility, as suggested by his portrayal of the Tuscan Grove restaurant chain, an even-more-soulless Olive Garden knockoff. Early on, the film takes us back into the kitchen, where there are no chefs to be seen — just stainless steel counters, where employees squirt prepackaged sauce on microwave pasta. When you go to a restaurant like Olive Garden, you can take comfort in knowing what you’re going to get.
Still, it’s hard to fault Amber for playing along. It certainly beats sitting indoors with Craig , the creepy program coordinator, who isn’t nearly as suave as Nick when he makes passes at the other attendees . The other managers are all weirdos in one way or another, with Molly Shannon stealing most of the laughs as Deb, a slightly older woman determined to milk this opportunity for all it’s worth.