Directed by Lars von Trier. Starring Peter Gantzler and Jens Albinus. In Danish and Icelandic with English subtitles. Rated 14A.

Even the most ardent admirers of Lars von Trier's cinematic genius are aware of the sadistic streak running through the great Dane's works. Therefore many viewers might be surprised to see him turn his hand to light comedy but they shouldn't be. As primatologist Desmond Morris is quick to remind us, comedy is a crueller medium than tragedy, because it permits us to enjoy the misfortunes and discomfiture of others vicariously.

However, the depth of contempt von Trier feels for The Boss of It All is unexpected. He seemingly despises himself for making it and us for (possibly) enjoying it; an Academy Award winner reduced to shooting porno couldn't show greater disdain.

Perhaps the plot is just too straightforward for his iconoclastic taste. When the unacknowledged owner of an IT firm (Peter Gantzler) decides to sell his business to Icelandic interests, he hires an excessively theoretical actor named Ravn (Jens Albinus) to portray the company's never-before-seen president. Preconceptions precede him, all of them manipulated by the crafty Ravn, and the actor must play his part with minimal information, just like the fake warlords did in General Della Rovere and Kagemusha.

Technically, the most interesting aspect of the film is its employment of Automavision. After choosing his camera's fixed position, von Trier backed off and let a computer decide the best times to tilt, zoom, et cetera. If nothing else, this system keeps the viewer on edge, as the director's AI seems to be stoked on Turkish coffee and amphetamines.

The Boss of it All does contain five or six good laughs, as well as some of the juicy inter-Nordic squabbling that the writer-director introduced in The Kingdom, but this is von Trier's weakest feature. What's weird is that he clearly intended it to be.