The Boss of It All

last updated 8 January 2015

Has Lars von Trier gone soft? said Tirdad Derakhshani in The Philadelphia Inquirer. After a string of stark, Brechtian works such as Dogville and its continuation, Manderlay, the Danish director has strayed into what can only be called comedy. But trust the brilliant von Trier to turn a premise fit for a workplace sitcom into a powerful commentary on 'œthe dehumanizing effects of Western capitalism.' Ravn (Peter Gantzler) runs a Danish IT company, but blames all unpopular edicts on an entirely nonexistent boss of his own invention. When a crotchety Icelandic man (Thor Fridriksson) wants to buy the business, Ravn must hire an actor friend to take a meeting. The ensuing confusion is well'“observed and hilariously funny, said Glenn Kenny in Premiere.com. Though The Boss of It All comes on like an unassuming skit, it ends up being 'œa comedy of near'“cosmic proportions.' Von Trier has done more than conquer a new genre, said Scott Foundas in The Village Voice. He's created a contemporary fable about 'œloyalty, the temptation of the almighty dollar, and corporate buck'“passing as a kind of Olympic sport.

Rating: Not rated