Originally posted August 27, 2022
The Good Boss is an enthralling drama in which a factory boss goes to extreme measures to win an award, gauchely trying to sweep all their flaws under the rug.
Most have heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” It’s a simple adage meant to remind us that it’s difficult to know what’s really happening with someone or something simply by its outward appearance. People regularly conceal their personal troubles when going to work or attending an event, avoiding unwanted questions or perhaps shielding someone else from scrutiny. Facades are part of life, but we nurture and display them to different degrees. In The Good Boss, the possibility of a distinguished award has the head of a factory scrambling to ensure everything looks picture-perfect, no matter how far from the truth that takes him and his employees.
Blanco (Javier Bardem) inherited his father’s scale factory and has strived for excellence ever since he took the helm. In a few days, they will be visited by an awards committee who will choose the recipient of a prestigious regional award from three finalists. However, before they arrive, the business is plagued with issues. A disgruntled ex-employee (Óscar de la Fuente) is raising a very public fuss about his dismissal. The head of production’s (Manolo Solo) marital issues are affecting his performance at work. And Blanco can’t keep his eyes off one of the new interns (Almudena Amor). They don’t have much time to get the well-oiled machine running smoothly again, but every solution just seems to create bigger problems.
The film begins with an already rocky start as Blanco’s speech about his employees being like family is juxtaposed with some not very happy occurrences, making it obvious that if they are a family, it’s a dysfunctional one. Nonetheless, he has a supportive wife, a lovely home and an empty spot on his trophy wall just waiting for the award. He often appears to be the patriarchal figure in his company — caring, trustworthy and reliable — while simultaneously acting the tyrant — demanding, harsh and cold. He micromanages to the point of meddling in his employees’ personal affairs to prevent off-duty angst from bleeding into the workday… and he’ll stop at nothing to fill the blank spot on his wall.
Bardem is flawless, as usual. He portrays Blanco’s commanding personality, while also depicting all the little cracks in his façade, which nearly fracture entirely when he can’t erase the smell of feces from his fingers. The film is a slow-moving trainwreck from which you don’t want to avert your eyes because each thing that occurs is juicier and more disastrous than the thing that preceded it. It grips audiences until the very end when everything comes to a head and Blanco must bow deeply to keep it all from falling down around him.
Director: Fernando León de Aranoa
Starring: Javier Bardem, Manolo Solo and Almudena Amor
