The Grönholm Method

Some of the competitors in The Grönholm Method competing against each other for a job in a mysterious corporation in Madrid, while anti-globalisation protests take hold outside. The film shows their cutthroat competiton as they eliminate each person until only one remains to take the job. But who will it be, and will they want it?

SCOTT: Not everyone will enjoy El Método, translated as The Grönholm Method. It follows the implementation of an interesting new job selection procedure, of which the movie derives its name, and follows the aspiring candidates in a small group of rooms in the Dekia corporation. Outside riotors are protesting against the very culture these men and women in suits represent. The singular setting, the lack of conventional 'action scenes', and the ambiguous ending may leave certain viewers dissappointed. For me though, this has been the standout of the Sydney Film Festival. The acting is perfect, especially Eduard Fernández, Nawja Nimri and Eduardo Noriega as the three major leads. The simplicity of the setting is perfectly apt for the witty banter and often electric dialogue that comes to sum up corporate culture.

CHRIS: Funnily enough, it was the setting that irked me the most about the film Scott! We know that this film has its origins in a Spanish-language stage play, and I think the problem here is the director hasn't done enough to open it out and thus make the film more compelling to an audience. I take the point that the setting becomes almost symbolic to what the character's are going through, but I found it a bit too stagey at various points in the film. I'm actually a bit of a purist about this sort of thing: if you're going to make a stage play into a film, then you need to give it a huge overhaul to make it work (Amadeus) or else it can flounder and strike a false note with an audience (Closer). On the other hand, I was equally irritated by a most ridiculous opening sequence with it's virtuosic - and essentially meaningless - split screens.

SCOTT: I agree that the opening was somewhat irritating, but it was an attempt by the director to make the film less 'stagey', something we can both agree came off as a bit flat. Maybe a few extra wide shots of rioters attacking stuff would have made the film less stagey for you Chris, but I don't think it was necessary. It would have been extraneous to the human drama occuring in the selection rooms. I think we can agree that the script and characters were very well thought-out, and I personally never found the premise at all boring or uninteresting. The ambiguity of the film I also thought was a strong point - what is the position these candidates are trying for? what does the company do? Not only did this give a universality to the whole situation, it also focused the film strongly on the main themes such as morality and ethics in human nature and in the buisness environment. My only minor quibble was that the anti-corporate message was a bit obvious at times.

CHRIS: Well you say the fact that we didn't know anything about the company added universality, but I think it detracted from the film. What position could possibly be so good as to have these people in the hideous competition that they are in? And why would any of them want to work for this company anyway once it had put them through the competition? I did like the idea of the corporate 'Big Brother' theory, but in the end I didn't really buy the idea they were so cutthroat about it all. That said, the acting was very convincing; you've highlighted that of the three leads as being particularly praiseworthy, but I think there was no weak link in the cast - to the extent that the secretary character, given about three lines of dialogue in the film, came off excellently. I thought it fizzled a bit though when the more dynamic members of the group left the room, and the last interaction between the two final contestants veers sharply towards schlocky romance. Ironically though, despite your championing of the setting Scott, I think that the final shot (which leaves the confines of the building) was far and away the most interesting of the film and lent itself to many different interpretations: for example I'm not so sure the film was as anti-corporate as it seems.

SCOTT: I agree that the last shot of the film does present the negative after effects of the rioting, yet I think the eventual winner's decision to return back up the elevator is equally telling of the filmmaker's message. The world of the Dekia Corporation is completely cut off from the world outside, and the ambiguity of its purpose emphasises the frivolity of such corporate endeavours. The final shot does leave one wondering and questioning long after the film has finished, something that not many films are capable of doing. In fact all the way through the film I found myself considering several ideas I normally don't associate with sitting in the cinema. I am also a sucker for hypothetical philosophical discussions such as the questions put to the candidates here. I was also impressed by the clever use of English and French in the film, which again added an interesting flavour. Although the premise seems simple at first, The Grönholm Method is an intricate, thought-provoking film.

CHRIS: I would agree with those adjectives in moderation I think: I saw the film in the end as a remarkably verbose and engaging version of "Big Brother", but with the same shortcomings as that television show. I didn't believe that these characters were the people they pretended to be, and thus the human engagement was a bit missing for me. And as for any sort of philosophical undercurrent, perhaps in the faux-chardonnay-sipping style but to be honest the 'ideas' they were throwing around seemed to be a bit akin to the sort of horrible daytime TV platitudes rather than any sort of thought-provoking drama. Even the script didn't take most of the questions seriously I don't think, treating them more as an opportunity for some funny lines (albeit some very amusing moments) and drama. And much like "Big Brother", I felt nothing for any of the characters despite their fine acting - the last three particularly. The elevator music throughout the film also grated eventually; I never thought I'd hear Nino Rota arranged that way. In the end, The Grönholm Method is a fine piece of ensemble acting caught in a film whose techincal precision and interest perhaps belongs on a stage more than on screen.

CHRIS:

SCOTT: