“The Good Boss” Review!

Director: Fernando Leon de Aranoa

Cast: Javier Bardem, Almudena Amor

In director Fernando Leon de Aranova's "The Good Boss," actor Javier Bardem gives a powerful performance in this Spanish drama about bossy power and dismissal. On a few occasions in "The Good Boss," the director delves into classic gangster films, scheming for his protagonist to hurt and manipulate those around him. However, Mr. Blanco (Bardem) is no Don Corleone, and instead of wooing crowds in '50s America, he's trying to win an award for "business excellence" for a production company of his size. It's a funny short shot for a ruthless character that funny and cleverly explores the power imbalances that are inevitable in every aspect of everyday life.

“The Good Boss” is about the life of a man who tries to present himself as a "good boss", always encouraging his employees to reconcile their problems. Naturally, he's only good when it suits him, and when he's happy to break a servant's son out of prison, d'Aranova shows us Blanco's true colors early and often—usually with his hatred for the racist people he considers beneath him and his merciless treatment of his young female apprentice. Chasing habit.

Of course, Blanco's pursuit of his prize comes at a bad time. A fired ex-employee starts a fiercely pathetic protest camp outside the front gates of his factory, derailed by the no-nonsense head of production, and the latest intern, Liliana (Almudena Amor), fights him. He has the power of destruction. It's a brisk, rather soapy story that eventually loses its way through a distant climactic set piece, but is interminably stuck along the way.

Blanco's cheeky mask doesn't mask his true shyness, and it gives Bardem a lot to play with, with waves of disgust and weariness crossing his face whenever Blanco is out of sight. An introductory speech he gives on the factory floor, a strong introduction, his fake laugh that immediately puts you on edge, D'Arnoia's dialogue and Bardem's performance are enough to tell you Blanco. But how much can be trusted?

This will be familiar to many, as a manager or boss has boxed in certain areas of their employees' lives that they don't really have a say in under the guise of "working family." Although the tone is often light-hearted here, class warfare rises above the surface, with d'Arnoia emphasizing the absolute power of the ruling class.

"The Good Boss" is essentially a watchable satire, with comedy of manners and genuine angst and funny effects, all inspired by Bardem's powerful performance to give your boss a shot. Don't give. An inch, or they take a mile. It's a mantra that hits hard right now in our summer of discontent, but feels timelessly relevant. "The Good Boss" often proves adept at walking this precise tightrope; As you would expect from a picture of a weighing scales factory, it maintains a fine balance.