The protagonist in this movies is young Philip. He has chosen (or received) a career in a big consultancy company in Paris that specializes in restructuring company. He meets a girl in the Paris metro he fancies and they get together.
Throughout the movies Philip goes from feeling happy to feeling very frustrated. This movie is not about maniac managers, single mothers looking for a partner or regular people fearing redundancies.
Philip is the focus of this movie. Although occasionally we get a glimps of the secrets of the people Philip is dealing with the story is really about him and the relationships with them.
This boy is young and doesn't understand the people close to him. He doesn't understand his boss because his boss what to let Philip go through what he went through when he was he junior. His boss believes this is the only way to the top, which is where he wants Philip to end. In the end his boss gets his way not because he's good but because he is the only person Philip knows that has plans for him.
Philip doesn't understand his girlfriend. This director really got it right by showing the spectator what Philip apparently doesn't see. These moments make the movie very good.
Philip has to interview workers of a company he and his boss are restructuring. Philip can't deal with them because he doesn't know his own emotions very well. His boss helps him by putting him back on track after Philip wants to quit the mission. Although the movie doesn't show how his boss does this I bet he did it by telling Philip about the emotions Philip is feeling that prevent him from doing his right. Since Philip doesn't know his own emotions this probably impresses him so much that he agrees to continue although he wanted to quit. His boss offers Philip something he longs for but can't get to by himself - understanding his own emotions - so his boss becomes the most important person to Philip.
His girlfriend, her little daughter, her mother, the workers all loose something because Philip doesn't know how to deal with himself. This is truly a sad story but also a very good movie. You liked Dogville maybe you'll like this as well.
