Dir. Lars Von Trier, Denmark/Rest of the World, 2006, 99 mins, subtitles
Cast: Jens Albinus, Peter Gantzler, Benedict Erlingsson, Iben Hjejle
Review by Daniella Delaney
Big David Brent fan? Missing 'The Office'? Well, light relief has arrived and it's from a somewhat unlikely source. The Boss Of It All is the latest from Lars Von Trier, the director who gave us one of the most downbeat films ever in Dogville, and it's a surprising and darkly delicious hoot a minute.
IT company head Ravn wants to sell up and move on, but his prospective buyer will only deal with the company's MD (the 'boss of it all' from the film's title). Big problem is, Ravn doesn't actually have an MD, all this time his staff have been acting on the orders of a fictitious head who's been ruling his staff with a rod of steel via email (sent by Ravn). For the sake of the sale, Ravn hires down-at-heel actor Kristoffer to take on the MD's role for the day of negotiations. When these don't go to plan, Ravn has no choice but to keep the self-involved actor around until the sale goes through and, as Kristoffer starts to take his role more seriously and is forced to interact with the staff his imaginary alter ego has been remotely 'bossing' for the last few years, hilarious consequences unfold. Suddenly the actor discovers he's a pawn in a game that sorely tests his (lack of) moral fibre. But will he make good for all his lies and misdemeanours and will the company sale finally go through come the credits?
True to its Slough doppelganger, the office setting for The Boss Of It All is all seventies drab walls, bleak architecture, plus an assortment of teetering-on-the-brink employees, from the sex-mad Lise to desperate-to-marry Heidi A and psychotic Gorm.
Jens Albinus is a delightfully deadpan Kristoffer, perfectly capturing the tortured soul method actor getting swept along as the web of lies surrounding 'The Boss' becomes ever more elaborate. And Peter Gantzler is his perfect foil as the butter-wouldn't-melt Ravn, who's been misleading his loyal band of staff for so long and still has one final hammer blow to deal to them all.
This is a comedy of errors, misunderstandings and intricate plot twists that will make you cry with laughter. And, make no mistake, it might be a Danish movie, but The Boss Of It All is up there with British dark comedy at its best. The use of Autovisision - a computer which helps decide the shot the audience is seeing on screen - is a little distracting but this aside The Boss Of It All is a real gem of a film, the perfect stress reliever after a day chained to your own drab desk.
If you've been missing really clever film comedy and fancy a good old laugh out loud, break out of those 9-5 shackles and get along to see it now.
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