The Method

From the moment all the main characters are gathered inside the conference room, you know you're in for a rare treat. The first part plays out like a classic, Agatha Christie-like whodunit, where you know just as much as the rest of the characters, and are as qualified as they are to make your assumptions.

The rest of the movie is just as interactive. The method of restricting our point of view to that of the character's makes you as much a part of what's going on as they are. It almost feels like a reality TV show, where you get to be one of the judges.

From the get-go, the movie grips you. It doesn't waste any moment and delves straight into the drama. The actors all do such an excellent job that you can't take your eyes off the screen. The pacing is perfect - here is not a dull moment - and the film's structure is brilliant.

There is one particular recurring motif which first appears in the first few scenes - dividing the screen into thirds. See if you can find similar compositional arrangements in key moments and deduce their meaning. It is the kind of movie where every tiny element serves a purpose (symbollic or otherwise), and it will make you think. Don't get me wrong - you will enjoy the movie as pure entertainment. But those who wish to search for deeper meanings, commentary about human nature, subtle social critique etc. will be far from disappointed.

In my opinion, the movie was perfect in every way (reminding me of "12 Angry Men", one of my all time favorites). I can't urge you enough to go see it. It is one of the best movies of the year.

The absurdity and grotesque one-upmanship of an executive job interview is sometimes perfectly captured in El Metodo, with an anti-capitalist demonstration used as an invisible backdrop with subtle symbolism. Directing is handled with confidence, and there is some memorable acting, although towards the end the ugly head of melodramatic overacting rears, destroying the atmosphere.

Also demolishing is the flawed characterization. One huge problem of the basic concept is that people interviewing for a high level managerial position have very rarely got anything to lose. Failure only gets the applicants back to other well paid, plush jobs. Such is a case with these people too; apart from their dignity and self-respect, there is nothing much at stake. Bigger problem is that even those they could easily keep were it not for their conveniently convoluted behaviour. From the writer's perspective it's simply a matter of bad characterization choices and some silly plotting. The competing interviewees behave with enormous stupidity sometimes to conveniently fit the dramatic wishes of the storyteller. One of the protagonists, a woman is rendered a victim about halfway through the film, a weak character unable to resist the sexual advances of a fellow male participant. This completely stupid and unrealistic plot development alone almost makes everything that follows implausible and shallow. (I mean, who in the world has sex in his mind during a supposedly important job interview? Come on, even the most macho males can control their animal urges - if they can't, there's no way they get to an executive position.) It's a pity the filmmakers could not muster up more courage to let the situation play itself out without sensationalist, melodramatic actions and resort to such cheap moves. What started out very well and tense, derails because of increasingly melodramatic plot solutions from the midpoint on.

It's a pity also that apart from a nicely symbolic final image and some subtly added subtext the storytellers did not make more of the anti-capitalist protests apparently going on simultaneously. It's a device completely wasted.

All in all, a film worth watching once for some nice psychodrama elements, but ultimately a terribly missed opportunity. For a similar premise, but a much more thrilling story watch "The Killing Room".

On a troubled day in Madrid, with strike and protest against the World Bank and the IMF on the streets, seven candidates are put together in a meeting room in front of notebooks by a secretary as part of a selection process for one important position in a Spanish corporation. They fulfill another application form informing that they would be submitted to the Grönholm Test. While speculating about the possible existence of hidden cameras and microphones, the test begins and they read a message on the screen telling that one of them is not a candidate but an employee from the HR analyzing their attitudes. Along the day, the group is submitted to tests that eliminate each candidate until the final dispute between the two last ones.

"El Método" is a very well acted movie shot basically in one set like in "Twelve Angry Men" with a brief view of the contemporary wild capitalism through the dispute of qualified applicants to a direction position in a corporation. My only remark against the screenplay is relative to the unnecessary and quite stupid sex scene in the restroom. The author could have built the tension between the characters without the need of exposing them to a ridiculous situation that gives no credibility to the plot. The open end with an ambiguous conclusion is a plus in the story. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Que Você Faria?" ("What Would You Do?")

This movie tells us about a group of people that are gathered at the premises of a company in order to take part in a selection process for an executive job. Soon they will realise that they're not attending a conventional group-interview.

One of the assets of this movie is the cast, with a bunch of the best actors and actresses of the moment in Spain and Argentina. They had a good movie to show their talents, and they have done it. Particularly surprising was the acting of Eduard Fernández. Although with a good acting record, he was a complete unknown to me. However, his incarnation of the disgusting 'macho ibérico' was extremely realistic and natural. Ernesto Alterio shows us once more that he's able to convincingly play any role. One just have to compare his Antonio in 'Días de Fútbol' (Football Days) with the nervous Enrique of this movie. Outstanding, I think. On the other hand, I dislike Noriega and Verbeke.

The movie as a whole is developed coherently and in a dynamic line, it will catch your interest from the beginning. Only two negative points, however. Although I'm not a puritan at all, I think that the sex scenes were unnecessary. I also disliked the final sight of the street, I think it was completely exaggerated, but that's just a detail.

The script is based in in a theater play, and though I'm not familiar with the original, I guess the action probably remains close to the original (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

The cast is a good bunch of popular actors and actresses here in Spain, some of them somewhat popular out of Spain. See Eduardo Noriega, Carmelo Gómez, Ernesto Alterio and Natalia Verbeke. I find the acting very believable in general, maybe Noriega is not that real, but maybe this is what he is supposed to do in his role.

The story: Seven people are dated to have their final interview for an important position in a big company. All of them get together for the interview in the same place and the method used by the company for the final selection is call Gronholm method.

All the action takes place in the interview room and the restrooms. This, in spite of being drawback for the entertainment, makes it more interesting. The director gets rid of superfluous elements and leaves space for character development.

In opposition, and in order to prevent the public from getting lost in so much isolation, the director sets the action in the same day and place of a World Bank and IMF, although this doesn't really have an influence on the story.

My only complaint has to do with some restroom scenes that I believe don't add anything to the movie and look really silly to me.

Very entertaining and good story.