THE BOSS
US, 2016, 105 minutes, Colour.
Melissa Mc Carthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinglage, Kathy Bates, Tyler Labine, Margo Martindale.
Directed by Ben Falcone.
A Melissa Mc Carthy comedy. and fans know what to expect. She usually office a big, bumptious, dominating, insensitive-to-others character with a modicum of concession to sentiment at the end. With a title like The Boss, it couldn’t be otherwise. Nor is it.
This character of Michelle Darnell, her look, hair-do, throat-covering wardrobe, manner, manners, tough talk, was created by Melissa Mc Carthy over 15 years ago for some comedy routines. She certainly brings this bossy character to the screen very vividly. She works with her husband, writer and director, Ben Falcone, who usually has a cameo in her films. And he is usually is the butt of some kind of pushy joke.
In an amusing prologue, the young Michelle is shown at an orphanage from the 70s to the 90s, being taken by adopting parents but always returned – to the same sister, Margo Martindale, incidentally illustrating the change of habits for nuns over the decades. but, as an adult, Michelle has become the richest woman in America and flaunts it – at glitzy Donald Trump-like campaign, a mighty presence to her applauding and adoring fans.
But then she is arrested for insider training, goes to jail (rather comfortable, tennis playing, and her expecting a limousine to drive away after her release!).
What is she to do? Her loyal assistant, Claire, Kristin Bell, who has a young daughter and is a single mother, has been a great help but now forced to take on another job to make ends meet. Needless to, Michelle imposes herself on the family - though she does get some comeuppance in the very funny bed sequence. And, in the background, is Renault, really Ron, in love in her past life and now a a business rival, played by Peter Dinklage.
Can Michelle make a comeback? Nothing if not resourceful, Michelle goes to the parents’ meeting and listens to the project of selling Brownies to raise money. After insulting a lot of the mothers, she picks some of the girls, Claire’s daughter and a very tall aggressive young lady and forms her own Brownies company. Of course, she is successful – although there is a huge street fight between the traditional brownie sellers and Michelle’s girls (with some comic rough-and-tumble in the street fight in the street fight which is something of a worry about the culture of American slug-it-out solutions).
Despite some appearances of having reformed, Michelle is still wary about business deals, unscrupulous in dealing with friends, especially Claire, but Claire becomes less mousey and more assertive. Michelle has a confrontation with Renault. And, perhaps, there is a multi-million-dollar future in Brownies.
Better than some Melissa Mc Carthy films like Tammy but not so impactful as The Heat or Spy.
1. Melissa Mc Carthy comedy, tough, rough, sentiment?
2. The orphanage, the different decades, the business world, spectacular rallies, prison, the streets, Claire’s place, school, at Claire’s office, the creation of business, the fight in the streets, success, rivals? An urban story?
3. Melissa Mc Carthy, her screen persona, larger-than-life, bumptious, sure, arrogant, dominating, disregarding others, making apologies, perhaps learning some lessons – for the time being?
4. The orphanage, the nun, the adoptive parents, returning Michelle? Her decision to succeed? Creating her own back story?
5. The rally, spectacular, the crowds, the applause, Claire and her work, assistant, being exploited, the result of the arrest?
6. The prison scenes, Michelle and her hardships – and playing tennis etc? Getting out, expecting a limousine, stuck in the street, squatting, Claire and her daughter, the decision to stay with them, commandeering things, on the bed and smashing her against the wall? Her being fastidious and critical? Determined to get her life back?
7. Claire, her skills, loyal work for Michelle, quiet, the new job, the worker and his attentions, her boss, dominating, kowtowing to Michelle? The discussions, hating the job? Claire and her daughter, the bond between the two? At school? The parents’ meeting, the making of the Brownies, the volunteers and sales? The dominant mother and her daughter, standing up to Michelle, calling her a felon? Michelle and her threats? Michelle taking over, the reaction of the chairwoman, the reactions? Michelle going to Claire’s office, the boss fawning on her, Claire leaving?
8. The business idea, control, the schoolgirl recruits, the tough big girl, the confrontation in the street, the fight? The mother and daughter, criticisms – and the mother with the bed? Success, cash flow? Using business principles?
9. Ron, Renault, the past, the relationship between the two, his staff and his yes-man assistant? His success in business, triumphing over Michelle’s losses, getting into the building? Control? Michelle seeing Kristen with him, her misinterpretation, her decision to sell the business, betrayal, discovery of the truth?
10. The plan to get the contract back, going surreptitiously into the building, Ron and the confrontation, Claire asserting herself and her ownership? The decision, collaboration? Finally in the mansion?
11. The heightened story as if it were reality – but a comic fantasy about the American dream?
