THEnvita to bitter laughter and despair The perfect garment, written and directed by Fernando León de Aranoa starring Javier Barden, from today to the cinema. Glossy satire with the tone from black comedy about the abuse of power, in labor and human relationships – rightly in the shortlist for best international film at the Oscars.
With rhythm and witty dialogues the story flows with a martial lightness that overwhelms everything. And it reveals the moral hypocrisy, selfishness and duplicity of its main character, a Bardem (in father and master version) giant.
The perfect garment, the plot
The film tells about five days in the life of Mr. Blanco (Javier Bardem), one of the leading Spanish manufacturers of professional scales. The entrepreneur hopes to win a company excellence award to hang on his beloved trophy wall, and additional public funding (“otherwise that money goes to the cinema»).
While awaiting the visit of the examining commission for the final response, everything must be in harmony, perfect and, of course, balanced. Starting with the historical balance in front of the factory entrance gate.
Too bad he has to deal with several unexpected events: the director Miralles (Manolo Solo) delays production because he is jealous of his wife asking for more space; a fired employee camps in front of the factory with banners and megaphone from which he hurls insults; the intern with whom Blanco weaves a liaison, Liliana (Almudena Amor), is the daughter of one of his old friend.
How will the “good boss” restore the balance? All characters end embroiled in a game of intrigue, while the flawless armor that protects the image of the boss begins to crack, ending up being slave of his desires and his pettiness all form.
Bardem, an Oscar proof
Blanco she moves into this little microcosm she calls her family (“I want to be with my employees, and look after them. They are my family. And the interns are my daughters. Is that wrong?”). Personage despicable and charming preaches a strong work ethic to his employees and behind the scenes he controls everything as if it were the Wizard of Oz hidden behind the curtain.
Javier Bardem in a scene from the film “The Perfect Boss”. (Bim)
The Spanish actor interprets a manipulator who seduces others with words and feels entitled to use them at will. His apparent generosity it masks an absolute selfishness. His empathy is arrogance, and its fragile balance of power can only be maintained throughto persuasion and the cruelty of his position.
Nobody is ever what they seem
Shapeless clothes, metal-rimmed glasses and a Trump hairdo, Blanco-Bardem blackmails with a smile and a slap on the back. Paternal and paternalistic, he is a man who is aware of who he wants to be, and he is scary, because he would do anything to achieve his goals. Mild embodiment of pure evil he has no real desire to change his ways. But in any case you can’t really hate him, his grin in fact captures.
“You don’t know your employees. As in Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. Nothing is as we perceive it. And we are not us. Let’s change. Depending on who is watching us. No?», Underlines the intern, victim (not so innocent) of the lascivious clutches of Blanco.
On the side of the master
A terrific story comes out: of social imbalance, black humor and guilty laughter. Of funny dialogues, lapidary phrases and philosophical quotes. With a Bardem – a thoroughbred actor getting better and better when it comes to sinister characters – who plays instinctively with Blanco’s psychology, dominating every scene with a natural charisma.
Javier Bardem. (Bim)
Engaging and sarcastic The perfect garment earned 20 Goya Award nominations, a record for Spanish film awards. In the director’s vision, of course, the film is a criticism the current employment situation in Spain, already captured previously in the dramatic Mondays in the sun (2002), on the working class and always starring Bardem. Only younger and not yet famous.
But no one comes out of history unscathed: neither the workers without conscience, nor the employers aware of their absence of conscience.
“This film basically does not tell a very distant reality – says the actor who these days is on Prime Video with Being the Ricardos – we all have some power over some people. Now the problem is to understand how much we are willing to take advantage of it if the opportunity arises.“
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