Blanco, brilliantly played by Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos and No Country for Old Men), is the suave, unprincipled boss of an inherited factory who appears to charm his workers with his fatherly manner.
He is sincere when he says “every employees’ problem is mine”, but acts only in the interests of his company.
The impending visit of a national committee to give a prestigious award he hopes to win, adding to the collection on his office wall, is the occasion to gather his workers together for a pep talk.
Everything must be perfect for the visit, but he has to deal with Jose (Oscar de la Fuete), a recently fired, long term employee who has set up camp outside the front gates, playing loud music and displaying banners, while berating his ex-boss through a megaphone, wanting his job back.
More problems arrive with Miralles (Manolo Solo) a depressed supervisor who has marriage problems which interfere with his ability to do his job, and who is a friend.
Then his comment to an attractive young intern (Almudena Amor) that ” relationships here go far beyond what it says in the contract” make it obvious that he employs young, good looking women for reasons other than just factory work.
This leads to a one-night-stand with the daughter of a close family friend and his unknowing wife Adela (Sonia Almarcha) inviting them to a rather uncomfortable dinner party.
Director/writer Fernando Leon de Aranoa (Mondays in the Sun, A Perfect Day) has made a slow paced and satirical anti-corporate movie which brings lots of smiles and a few laughs. It won best picture, original screenplay, score and editing at the 36thGoya Awards in Spain.
120 minutes.
Spanish language with English sub-titles.
Now showing at Luna Leederville, Luna SX Fremantle and Windsor Nedlands.
Watch the trailer…
