| this week's Tribune review : THE BOSS OF IT ALL [7/10] |
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 The Boss of It All Denmark 2006 Starring : Jens Albinus, Peter Ganzler Director : Lars Von Trier ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAMOUSLY the founding-father of the controversial - but seminal 'Dogme' movement, with its back-to-basics 'Vow of Chastity' for directors, 51-year-old Copenhagener Lars Von Trier is a puckish provocateur whose every move seems designed to court publicity and controversy, and to make level-headed observers wonder to what extent he's serious about anything he does. On his day - Palme d'Or winner Dancer in the Dark (2000) - he's capable of masterpiece-level achievement, but all too often he overreaches himself with grandiose, smart-alecky projects such as the in-progress trilogy whose first two episodes are Dogville (2003) and Manderlay (2005). While we wait with not-so-bated breath for the concluding chapter - reportedly named Wasington - Von Trier has taken "time out" to deliver a much smaller-scale, less-ambitious project: The Boss of It All. An offbeat workplace comedy with shades of The Office and, perhaps, Curb Your Enthusiasm, it focusses on a small Danish run by confrontation-averse Ravn (Gantzler), who avoids explaining tough decisions by claiming to be a subordinate to the real boss, the never-seen (and fictional) Sven E. But when circumstances require 'the boss of it all' to be produced, Ravn impulsively hires an out-of-work stage-actor, Kristoffer (Albinus), for a one-off impersonation. Deadpan shenanigans duly ensue, further complicated by Kristoffer's Method-like desire to submerge himself fully into his role. As always with Von Trier, there's more to this movie than immediately meets the eye - Danish observers reckon it's a roman-a-clef satire of goings-on at the director's own production-company, while there are some deft points being made about employment-practices, the pretentiousness of artists, and the psychological appeal of hierarchies. Issues of control are further explored behind the camera, as Von Trier has supposedly handed cinematography duties to a computer-program of his own devising, named 'Automavision©' - which gives proceedings a herky-jerky kind of look that only adds to the sense of offbeat fun. Nothing spectacular, then, but never less than drolly engaging - even laugh-out-loud hilarious at certain points - and easily the director's most satisfying work since his Cannes success. Now, does Mr Von Trier really have to go to Wasington? Neil Young 19th February, 2008  THE BOSS OF IT ALL : [7/10] : Direktøren for det hele : Denmark* 2006 : Lars 'VON' TRIER : 99m (BBFC timing) seen at Kosmos cinema, Tallinn, Estonia : 9th December 2006 : public show (complimentary ticket) : Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival above review adapted from original 'Automacritic©' article * officially : Denmark / Sweden / Iceland / Italy / France / Norway / Finland / Germany |
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