MARCELO PINEYRO: THE GRÖNHOLM METHOD (2005)



REVIEW BY TRAVIS KIRBY

For a film that feels quite promising The Grönholm Method starts off well but turns a bit smutty towards the end. The film is the story of a large company in Madrid selecting a new employee for an executive position. The applicants have to sign papers agreeing to be subjected to the “Grönholm method” during the selection for the position. The process begins with the applicants being locked in the office as they are forced to complete tasks in order to help along in the hiring process. The tasks begin light-heartedly: select a leader, identify “The Mole"; but quickly take a direction that leads to dirty insults, sexism and smut. These dirty qualities are tolerable to a point, but when the film takes an almost pornographic turn, the enjoyable, comedic qualities that the film had are lost.

Adapted from a stage play, the film takes place almost entirely within the single office where all of the selection process takes place. It is not necessarily a bad thing but at some points becomes exasperating and trips outside of the room become almost like freedom. This is definitely a quality that Argentine director Marcelo Pineyro wanted to convey, through his repeated use of extreme close-ups, but when he backs off to a medium or long shot the sense of claustrophobia remains. We’ve seen that room, and that doesn’t change no matter how many different angles are used.

As we travel along through the narrowing process the tasks become more and more ludicrous. At one point a soccer ball is being tossed back and forth, and for no apparent reason other than to move the plot along. Would Apple Computers make an applicant throw a soccer ball back and forth? I doubt it, and yet it fits into the script, which borders on insane. Attending this film can make you feel dirty, underneath your skin. That is not a pleasant feeling to receive from a film.