El Metodo

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Foreign

I think Hollywood and our local cinema can learn a thing or two about this sharp little Spanish film by Marcelo Piñeyro, a screen adaptation of Jodi Galceran's El Metodo Gronholm.

When seven candidates gather in a conference room 35 stories up to compete for an executive position while the hordes of anti-globalization protesters gather in the streets of Madrid to protest the IMF-WB meeting, expect to see sparks of cinema brilliance fly.

The story revolves around the seven candidates headlined by some of Spain's best actors (Eduardo Noriega (Tesis, Abre Los Ojos) as Carlos provides a very refreshing performance, likewise Carmelo Gomez- Goya Best Supporting Actor, Eduard Fernandez, Pablo Echarri, Najwa Nimri lends stellar performances) who have to be in a series of unconventional employment tests called the Gronholm Method which hints in some in say "whodunit" fashion slash Big Brother style. To add to the suspense, a company mole was planted among the 7 candidates and they have to find who that person was while eliminating each other one by one.

The fact that the dialogue was entirely Spanish (not to count the brief exchanges in French and English at the latter part), most of the scenes restricted at the conference room with some brief moments at the executive washroom, the film was entirely engaging and there never was a dull moment. The lines were delivered with crisp, clear and naturalness that it was almost delicious to listen to with its pointed observations toward social criticism and human nature was thought-provoking.

The cinematography was clean without being too Hollywoodish - reminds me of Abre Los Ojos, the directing was excellent. Winner of 2 Goyas.