He has a wall covered in awards at home, and is looking forward to adding another soon. With his sleek, grey coiffure and air of unflappable bonhomie, Blanco works hard at being an attractive, commanding figure. His very name, which means “white”, attests to his false purity and the opaque nature of his personality. Bardem gives us a smooth, sophisticated hypocrite, well-versed in the arts of manipulating the people around him. Ricky Gervais created a character desperate to be loved, who makes everyone cringe as soon as he opens his mouth. It’s important to recognise that Blanco is no David Brent. Javier Bardem and Rafa Castejon in The Good Boss. The corollary of this is that the smallest upset can throw that equilibrium out of whack, which is precisely what happens in this droll, black comedy, written and directed by Fernando León de Aranoa.
His entire life is one big balancing act. He weighs up his obligations to employees against his own profits, his love affairs against his happy marriage. Blanco is skilled at balancing everything. It’s in the very nature of his business, which makes scales and weighing devices. Javier Bardem’s Julio Blanco is a master operator when it comes to maintaining those double standards. Every small to medium-sized business is a potential comedy series, as management tries to maintain the illusion that a company is one big happy family, at least until the employees ask for a pay rise. It’s a wonder there are not more movies like The Good Boss.
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