I liked this rather off-beat examination of the owner of a Scale manufacturer whose every effort to calm the storms in his workplace in order to secure a major award sink him deeper and deeper into the drama of his workers and into more and more nefarious means to get what he wants - putting his thumb on the scale of his world to bring balance to it.
Bardem is likable as the father figure Boss who you know right away is not all he appears as his opening morale building speech to his employees is riddled with subtle hints on how they should behave when the judges come around. He feels very much like a kindly old mafia boss advising his crew not to screw up. You can sense the veiled threat in his sugary words.
The story is light enough that it doesn't get too dark, buoyed by a wonderfully peppy score that merrily zips us along with Bardem as he meddles in problem after problem - seemingly getting one under control as another crops up - all of them reaching a crescendo that leaves us almost rooting for Bardem to surmount the mess he's gotten himself into by the end.
Bardem views himself as The Good Boss and it's his willful blindness to the fact that he is NOT a good boss where the humor comes. Seeing his schemes blow up as he attempts to manipulate his workers lives and causing himself more and more problems along the way is delightful to watch.
So if you're into that kind of wry, almost macabre humor, then The Good Boss is an enjoyable way to spend 2 hours.
Bardem is likable as the father figure Boss who you know right away is not all he appears as his opening morale building speech to his employees is riddled with subtle hints on how they should behave when the judges come around. He feels very much like a kindly old mafia boss advising his crew not to screw up. You can sense the veiled threat in his sugary words.
The story is light enough that it doesn't get too dark, buoyed by a wonderfully peppy score that merrily zips us along with Bardem as he meddles in problem after problem - seemingly getting one under control as another crops up - all of them reaching a crescendo that leaves us almost rooting for Bardem to surmount the mess he's gotten himself into by the end.
Bardem views himself as The Good Boss and it's his willful blindness to the fact that he is NOT a good boss where the humor comes. Seeing his schemes blow up as he attempts to manipulate his workers lives and causing himself more and more problems along the way is delightful to watch.
So if you're into that kind of wry, almost macabre humor, then The Good Boss is an enjoyable way to spend 2 hours.