Melissa McCarthy has already proven she can carry a film. Her razor sharp tongue and effortless charm alone are worth the ticket price but now she also takes a seat behind the typewriter, along with husband Ben Falcone (who also directs) and Steve Mallory to bring us The Boss, a fairly by-the-numbers crude comedy brought to hilarious life by a bouquet of great performances.
McCarthy stars as Michelle Darnell, a wealthy orphan entrepreneur whose empire suddenly crumbles once her insider trading is revealed by her business nemesis, played by Peter Dinklage. After a brief and less than punishing stint in prison, Darnell is left on the streets and so turns to her ex-assistant Claire (Kristen Bell), who lives a humble existence with her daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). Michelle then sets to re-building her wealth by establishing a new business with Claire and Rachel, but things get complicated when her old self-serving ways start to resurface.
Family seems to be the main theme running through The Boss, and Michelle’s inability to accept love from those around her. As she begins to create a makeshift family with her previous employee and her child, she starts withdraw and sabotage the bonds holding them together.
This is all hardly original and it’s true the narrative couldn’t unfold in a more conventional (some might say lazy) fashion, but Falcone’s direction seems to show an awareness of this and raise a big middle finger to the haters to say ‘just go with it’. While this is effective in drawing the viewer into enjoying the crazy comedy of the film, it does stop the film from rising above its formulaic trappings. It’s unclear what The Boss is trying to say beyond the rather trite message of ‘don’t run away from your feelings’.
Where The Boss soars is in its energetic ensemble. From Kristen Schall playing a downtrodden scout-leader to Annie Mumolo’s aggressive rival troupe leader, the cast of characters are exaggerated, eccentric and create a world where everyone is always ready for a fight. Kathy Bates also drops in as Michelle’s wealthy mentor and Ella Anderson puts in an impressive performance and seems to have skill in delivering lines that would usually be deemed too crude or ridiculous for a young girl to sell.
The film is also a lot of fun and doesn’t shy away from revelling in violence and irreverence. One of the most vibrant sequences features two troupes of girls, led by their mothers, engaging in an all-out brawl in the street. Falcone’s indulgent use of music, slow motion and extravagant choreography bring the sequence to life.
Overall The Boss doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but it does a good job of giving it a shiny coat of paint. McCarthy and the rest of the cast all bring their A-game and there are enough moments of humour to keep everyone entertained.
