grodscorp@grods.comMIFF ‘07 film review: The Boss Of It All
 | Posted by Scott on Saturday 4 August 2007, 2:05 pm Categories: MIFF '07 Tags: Tags: MIFF, TheBossOfItAll |
Film rating: 4/5
Walkouts: 0/5
Pretentious clapping at credits: 4/5
BPM sighting: No
“Here comes a film. It’s a comedy and harmless.” – Lars von Trier
When the owner of an IT company decides to sell up, he’s forced to wheel out the CEO to seal the deal. The only problem is the CEO was his creation, invented to take the blame for unpopular decisions. Enter Kristoffer, an out of work actor hired to play the part, who unwittingly and increasingly becomes entrenched in the devious charade.
The Boss of It All is a departure for von Trier, known for his dire subject matter in films such as Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark, and filmed using von Trier’s own invention, Automavision, which completely randomises the camera angles and shots using a computer program. (Note: Automavision takes all the credit for the film’s cinematography).
I’m a bit of a closet Dogme fan and haven’t seen any of Von Trier’s non-Dogme films so I simply had to go along and check out this “Automavision” caper. I wasn’t expecting much and was pleasantly surprised by The Boss Of It All. The random camera technique didn’t add anything to the film but it didn’t distract either. The casual approach to this harmless comedy was a nice change from Hollywood’s over-seriousness in that genre. Had a few great big belly laughs and walked away with a smile on my face. The only negative I can think of is the slightly drawn out conclusion, although it ends on a note of comedy brilliance.
This is a definitely one to watch out for on SBS or find at the video shop.
