Date watched: April 25, 2022
Date Reviewed: April 25, 2022
Review
After a short, forced hiatus from the cinema – I’m back baby!
This afternoon I went to see “The Good Boss” which is a Spanish comedy starring Javier Bardem. It’s a comedy of errors but without the slapstick while still maintaining its comedic edge.
Bardem’s performance in the lead role is exceptional, and if you have followed his body of work, you wouldn’t expect any thing less from him. He brings the character to life in such in such a way that seeing him deal with the situations as they unfold, you aren’t sure how this “smooth operator” is going to react to the decisions he makes and the consequences that emerge. There was a moment in the film where I thought things were going to take a drastic turn due to the weight of pressure building and Bardem’s performance really pulls you in emotionally.
I’m not familiar with the other cast members however I felt that everyone played their parts well. There isn’t a weak link in this regard.
The film follows the story of Blanco (Bardem), the owner of the Blancos Básculas factory who manufacture scales. He has inherited the company from his father and is a proud and competitive man. The company has already won a number of awards and is contention for another award, this time a regional company award competing against two other businesses.
Following the opening scene, we see Blanco addressing his workers of an expected visit from a committee of delegates who will be inspecting each of the nominated businesses. While he addresses the workers about how he considers them to be his family and to tell the visiting delegates how much they enjoy working at the factory, we see a disgruntled employee who has recently been fired making a scene by bringing his children into the office.
Over the course of the week we see a series of incidents that Blanco must manage which is broken down day by day. We see him try to handle the disgruntled employee mentioned above, a new group of young women starting as interns with some sexual tension brewing, a long-time friend and employee having marriage troubles, all while his wife has something important to tell him but cannot remember.
By the time the delegation arrives, your focus is directed to a poster in the factory which states the company’s values “Work Hard. Balance. Loyalty”. As an audience member you can’t help but to have flashbacks to the decisions made by the employees and Blanco himself during the course of the film along these themes. I’m sure a lot of people will have their own personal work experiences that might trigger some memories – just hopefully not to the scale that unfolds here!
So is Blanco a “good boss” – it all depends on the perspective that you are looking from. Sometimes you need to tip the scales in your favour.
I feel that this film has slightly flown under the radar a little bit and it deserves more attention. Thought provoking, funny, and a great performance from Javier Bardem, I highly recommend going to see this film – it doesn’t need to be at the cinema but if you can, you should and show your support at the box office!