Film Review: THE GOOD BOSS (2021): Javier Bardem is Dynamite in a Movie That Takes Enormous Risks and Succeeds

The Good Boss Review

The Good Boss (2021) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa and starring Javier Bardem, Manolo Solo, Almudena Amor, Oscar de la Fuente, Sonia Almarcha, Fernando Albizu, Tarik Rmili, Celso Bugallo, Francesc Orella, Mara Guil, Nao Albet, Maria de Nati, Dalit Streett Tejeda and Daniel Chamorro.

Javier Bardem has never been better than in his leading role in filmmaker Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s very dark comedy, The Good Boss. This is a movie which is among one of the most disturbing films I’ve ever seen and that’s simply because it could actually happen. Perhaps the events of the movie, which are set mostly during the course of a single week, couldn’t happen in as brief a time span as the movie portrays them in, but who cares when the plot is this energetic and fascinating? Bardem is to be credited for playing a mostly unlikable character who we find ourselves surprisingly rooting for at times. It’s an amazing piece of work by the always reliable Bardem.

Bardem portrays Blanco, a man in charge at a prestigious company which specializes in industrial scales manufacturing. Blanco is eagerly awaiting a visit by some high profile people within his company. Everything must be perfect but all hell is breaking loose. An almost 50-year old divorced man who is laid off from the company named Jose (Oscar de la Fuente) is demanding his job back and soon sets up shop across the street from his old job to protest. Blanco initially looks the other way, well for the most part anyway.

Another setback is one of the central workers at the company, Miralles (Manolo Soto) is separating from his long time companion, Aurora (Mara Guil) and Miralles is very depressed which is affecting his work performance. Blanco gives him some time off and even tries to pay for a prostitute for Miralles at one point as he is becoming a liability more than an asset now. But, Miralles remains a sour puss.

It is one of the interns that sends the majority of the plot on a spiral which goes completely out of control. A young female marketing intern named Liliana (an excellent Almudena Amor) comes on board the company and one day, Blanco offers her a ride and he won’t take no for an answer. He drops her off at her hotel which she is getting lodging privileges for from the company. It is pointed out that the space they give her seems to be a bit much for one person suggesting Blanco may have other intentions for her. He seems interested in her sexually despite being a supposedly happily married man.

This movie focuses mainly on Blanco who surprisingly gets a phone call from Liliana and her friend inviting him to go out partying with them. Blanco unwisely brings Miralles along but Blanco still manages to have sex with Liliana. It’s unclear if Blanco is at fault because Liliana is aggressive but after the steamy encounter between them, he chooses to ignore her. The plot thickens when his wife announces that Liliana is a close friend’s daughter who Blanco even held in his arms as a baby. In a hilarious reveal, Liliana is so obsessed with the company she works for that she has its emblem tattooed on her upper back but she is also an excellent worker which further complicates an already complex situation.

Things start getting intense with the guy across the street, Jose, who ends up putting feces on the scales outside the building which leaves Blanco to ask the poor security guard to clean it up. Jose’s presence will certainly make Blanco’s establishment look bad if he continues to protest outside so Blanco must deal with him in a way that will make him go away which is easier said than done.

Bardem’s Blanco is a wonderful creation by the actor. This character says his employees are like “family” but he’ll do whatever he has to do to succeed even if it means steamrolling the ones who give him problems. Liliana proves to be a force to contend with and she also will not take no for an answer although when Blanco makes it clear he isn’t interested in her anymore, she takes a plan of revenge and puts it into effect. Amor is simply wonderful as Liliana and is the major challenge Blanco must overcome if he is to impress those who can give the company a more prestigious image which will, of course, enhance profits. As played by Amor, Liliana is strong, confident and knows what she wants.

The last scene of The Good Boss is perfect. I won’t tell you exactly what happens but there is a shot of Blanco and one of his workers who has sacrificed everything and Blanco stands to reap the major benefits. This sequence conveys the idea of the fact that those who give their sweat and blood to a company stand on the sidelines while others take all the credit. That’s not saying Blanco does nothing but a large part of what he does is keep his key workers out of sight for his own personal gain. The rewards usually go to those at the top and it can be a bit disturbing. It’s food for thought for sure and one of the reasons this film is so successful. It will certainly leave you with a lot to talk about.

Are there problems with The Good Boss? Yes, unfortunately. Blanco does take some extreme measures and it’s hard to believe all the events of the film could transpire in just a little over a week. But, still, this is one movie that does what it sets out to do–make one think and entertain. Bardem is a master of the acting games and comes up with his best performance to date in a movie that will captivate the viewer from beginning to end.

Rating: 9/10

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