The Boss of It All
Encyclopedia
The Boss of it All is a 2006 Danish comedy film
written and directed by Lars von Trier
.
company wishes to sell it. But, for years, he has pretended that the real boss lives in America and communicates with the staff only by e-mail. That way, all the unpopular decisions can be attributed to the absentee manager, while all the popular ones to him directly. But now, the prospective buyer insists on meeting the big boss in person. In a panic, the owner hires a failed, over-intellectualizing actor to portray this imaginary boss, and the actor proceeds to improvise all his lines, to the consternation of both the buyer and the company staff, who finally get to meet their ghostly boss.
, it has become von Trier's most critically acclaimed work since 1996's Breaking the Waves
scored an 84% average. The film was also nominated for two Bodil Awards, three Robert Festival Honours and the Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Mia Lyhne won the best supporting actress award at the Zulu Awards in 2007.
with Ron Howard
and Brian Grazer
producing.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
written and directed by Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
.
Plot
The owner of an ITInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
company wishes to sell it. But, for years, he has pretended that the real boss lives in America and communicates with the staff only by e-mail. That way, all the unpopular decisions can be attributed to the absentee manager, while all the popular ones to him directly. But now, the prospective buyer insists on meeting the big boss in person. In a panic, the owner hires a failed, over-intellectualizing actor to portray this imaginary boss, and the actor proceeds to improvise all his lines, to the consternation of both the buyer and the company staff, who finally get to meet their ghostly boss.
Cast
- Jens AlbinusJens Albinus- Filmography :*Everything will be Fine *Daisy Diamond *The Boss of It All *The Eagle - as Hallgrim Ørn Hallgrimsson*Forbrydelser - as Carsten...
as The Boss of It All / Kristoffer / Svend E - Peter GantzlerPeter GantzlerPeter Gantzler is a Danish actor. He is perhaps best known for his parts in Taxa and Italian for Beginners.-Biography:...
as Ravn - Friðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
as Finnur - Benedikt Erlingsson as Interpreter
- Iben HjejleIben HjejleIben Hjejle is a Danish actress, notable for starring in the John Cusack film High Fidelity . In Denmark, she is perhaps best known for appearing in the Danish television sitcom Langt fra Las Vegas and playing the girlfriend of Danish comedian Casper Christensen, her real life boyfriend...
as Lise - Henrik Prip as Nalle
- Mia LyhneMia LyhneMia Lyhne is a Danish actress, who gained national fame after her participation in the Danish version of Dancing with the Stars, and following her run on the Danish sitcom, Klovn, where she acted as the girlfriend of comedian, Frank Hvam.Mia Lyhne is not an educated actress...
as Heidi A. - Casper ChristensenCasper ChristensenCasper Lindholm Christensen is a Danish comedian. He has hosted many shows including Casper & Mandrilaftalen, the Danish airing of Shooting Stars and Don't Forget Your Toothbrush , and the Danish version of Deal or No Deal...
as Gorm - Louise MieritzLouise MieritzLouise Mieritz is a Danish actress, best known for her roles in the Dogme 95 films The Idiots and Se til venstre, der er en Svensker.-Partial filmography:*The Idiots...
as Mette - Jean-Marc BarrJean-Marc BarrJean-Marc Barr is a French-American film actor and director. His mother is French. His American father was in the US Air Force and served in the Second World War. Jean-Marc Barr is primarily known as an actor, but is also a film director, screenwriter and producer...
as Spencer - Sofie Gråbøl as Kisser
- Anders HoveAnders HoveAnders Hove was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was born in Fåberg.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from the Market towns of Hedmark and Oppland counties in 1945, and was re-elected on two occasions.Hove held various positions in Lillehammer city council, and served as...
as Jokumsen
Critical reaction
The reaction to the film has been rather positive. Scoring a 75% average on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, it has become von Trier's most critically acclaimed work since 1996's Breaking the Waves
Breaking the Waves
Breaking the Waves is a 1996 film directed by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson. Set in the Scottish Highlands in the early 1970s, it tells the story of an unusual young woman, Bess McNeill, and of the love she has for Jan, her husband. The film is an international co-production led by Lars...
scored an 84% average. The film was also nominated for two Bodil Awards, three Robert Festival Honours and the Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Mia Lyhne won the best supporting actress award at the Zulu Awards in 2007.
Remake
On February 23, 2011, it was announced that Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz was remaking The Boss of It All for Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
with Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
and Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
producing.
External links
- The Director Interviews: Lars von Trier, The Boss of It All at Filmmaker Magazine
- 'I'm a control freak – but I was not in control' – interview with von Trier
- Slave to cinema – interview with von Trier