The Good Boss: Balancing comedy with capitalist critique
Javier Bardem in The Good Boss. Image: Reposado PC – The Mediapro Studio
The irony is strong in The Good Boss (El buen patrón), a Spanish workplace comedy about the corruption and misjustice in a – drumroll, please – scales manufacturing company.
From critically-acclaimed writer and director Fernando León de Aranoa, the hilariously frustrating film is led by Javier Bardem (Being The Ricardos) who plays Blanco, boss of the Blancos Básculas factory. Nominated for an award of excellence and awaiting a visit from a committee, ambitious Blanco attempts to resolve any problems amongst his workers to ensure nothing interferes with securing his desired award.
“Sometimes you have to tilt the scale to get the exact weight”
Framed as a god constantly positioned above his workers with the camera rotating around him, we never second-guess Blanco’s power and influence visually. Even a simple meeting with the esteemed businessman is likened to wanting to “talk to the Pope”. But Blanco’s morals are as grey as his suit. He lives by the flawed ideology that more scales means more justice, and if you work for him, you’re his property. Hence why he feels he has the right to interfere with his employees’ lives.
Sly innuendoes and miscommunications at the most inconvenient times send ripples of amused gasps spreading through the audience, keeping us, like Blanco, on our toes. Fernando Albizu, who plays a security guard with an appreciation for rhymes, adds to the light-heartedness of the thematically serious film –which deals with issues of sexism, racism, adultery and assault.
Javier Bardem is the boss. His performance, from exasperated expressions to passionate line deliveries, is magnetic – and accounts for 99 per cent of our laughs. When all seems to be falling apart, despite a determination to maintain his iron grip on everyone, Blanco threatens to boil over. Seething and shaking with rage, Bardem invites sympathy, but receives very little, because by now we have come to recognise his misaligned values.
Stakes are high and the spotlight illuminating the blank space in Blanco’s trophy display serves as a reminder of the looming committee inspection. Yet, despite the film’s commentary on capitalist greed and workers’ rights, the film’s light tone is enough to assuage our guilt for finding humour in the dark. The mischievous and playful music encourages us to see the comedy in Blanco’s circumstances.
Michael Bublé’s Feeling Good, played in the third act, is one of the most well-fitting, albeit slightly outlandish, songs to neatly wrap up a bunch of tangled storylines. Satisfyingly done though it may be, it’s up to us to decide whether we are content with the results of Blanco’s meddling.
The Good Boss received the most Spanish Academy Goya nominations in history. Among the 20 nominations are best picture, director, original screenplay, lead actor, original score and editing – all of which it won. Unfortunately, despite the comedy being shortlisted for International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, Fernando León de Aranoa didn’t have much luck with his campaign, telling Variety, “Visibility is very much dependent on budget.”
Fronted by the exceptional Bardem, The Good Boss entertains and enrages, achieving an organic balance without tipping the scales.