La punta del iceberg (2016) Reviews

• Interesting and intriguing drama with fine actors , appropriate photography and nice direction

  ma-cortes2017-11-28

  Intelligent picture with exciting battles of wits , including excellent acting and provoking issues . A top-notch cast under superb direction by Daniel Cánovas makes this movie above average in every aspect . A large multinational company is shaken by the suicide of three employees : Marcelo Miralles (Ginés García Millán) , Eduardo Rus (Zoe Berriatúa) and Andrés Miró (Fermín Fernández) , all of them committed suicide themselves by slashing , gunning and throwing from a high floor . The company sends a director , Sofia Cuevas (Maribel Verdú) , she is a CEO who is sent to her former business branch after three hard-working employees committed suicide in a period of five months . Sofia meets some of the employees , such as Gabriela Benassar (Bárbara Goenaga) , and discovering one of them is her friend and ex lover Alejandro García (Carmelo Gómez) , as well as her his old friend , the barman Carmelo Luis (Jesús Castejón) who informs her about the suicide people . Later on , Sofía travels to the main building , to the management staff , meeting the head-director Carlos Fresno (Fernando Cayo) and shortly after Sofía interviews the superior staff of the company formed by Enzo Martelli (Carlo D'Ursi) , Angel Torres (Juan Fernández) , among others . Sofia is warned about the investigation is too risked to be terminated , and things go wrong . The film provided a strong denounce against the strict companies and stiff-upper-lip multinationals that carry out extreme psychological pressing , abusive labouring methods used to motivate staff and impossible projects with unrealistic deadlines . This is a brooding film in which there is a psychological intense studio of top executives and employees to work under rigid tensions , there is developed The Project Iceberg , a pathogenic form of management where the individual is relegated to a minor role and the only priority is the bottom line ; however , the name of the company never is revealed , as well as the products they make . The main premises are the followings : Three suicides have been committed being possible that the three deaths could be unrelated , and the investigator woman at the beginning reluctant to fulfill the job , but subsequently the cunning CEO looking for the truth and she starts to doubt the reasons given for the three suicides ; is it the result of unstable minds or perhaps these three suicides could be related to a conspiracy within the company? , and what are the real reasons that lead a man to suicide? . There are battles of wits among varied groups of employees and management staff as their priorities , ethics and loyalty are put trough stressing tests . It results to be a deep as well as engaging exam about the abuse in working . Though the whole movie is set in office rooms it never lacks for taut , suspense , intrigue and inspired filmmaking . It happens a real struggle behind closed doors , it turns out to be to be tense , charged and riveting . The picture has the best elements of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross , Neil LaBute's In the company of men , Sidney Lumet's 12 angry Men and Marcelo Pineyro's El Metodo . It was splendidly directed with an extraordinary plethora of actors who give awesome performances . The acting level of the cast during some of the intense discussions and debates almost bursts in the screen . The movie can be used in business schools and workshops to illustrate working dynamics and conflicts between employees and chiefs . Maribel Verdú gives a good interpretation as CEO in charge of conducting an internal investigation , discovering an unhealthy work environment and a complex framework at the high-tech company . Very good acting by a Spanish-all-support cast , such as : Carmelo Gómez , Fernando Cayo , Bárbara Goenaga , Juan Fernández , Itziar Atienza , Álex García and Nieve De Medina . Thought-provoking as well as interesting writing credits by José Amaro Carrillo , Alberto García Martín , and director David Cánovas himself based on the play by Antonio Tabares whose brilliant play was left virtually intact in its move to feature film . It packs an adequate and colorful cinematography by Juán Carlos Gómez who has photographed hits as ¨AzulOscurocasinegro¨, ¨La Gran Familia Española¨, ¨Elsa Y Fred¨, El Bola¨ . The motion picture was compellingly directed by David Cánovas at his film debut . He is a good writer/producer/director who previously made shorts as ¨Contratiempo¨, ¨Odio¨, ¨Intruso¨ , ¨Estoy Prohibido¨ and ¨Archivos Del Ministerio Del Tiempo¨ TV series .

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