STOP IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM; BEWARE OF SPOILERS AHEAD!
Yup, in the end Carlos won the management position, even though he lost other things in the process—particularly the possibility to share the future with Nieves. But, what if…just what if, Ricardo and the secretary worked together as a team and Ricardo got the positioning in the end? After all, they themselves assert their collaboration. Again, this is just an alternative reading of this highly entertaining film.
I would have preferred that the movie stopped when nieves let carlos get out of the room, smile at him, and close the door. It would have been more powerful if it ended like that, don't you think?
shareI think so too, and I would have liked her to win. She's the playa in the movie. He was trying so hard to make her cry. i think I would have rather see her shut the door then leave it open ended
shareShe is the "Playa"? I think you were not thinking about a Beach but a... Fill the blank space.
"I live in the weak and the wounded..."
Well, if you look closely, they both achieve their "missions"! She had to make him leave the room, and he had to make her cry, so I don' think it's really clear who got the job, I think its just an open ending...
shareI see what you're saying, but Nieves walks away down the ruined street while Carlos stays. We'd have to assume an awful lot of activity after the end of the movie putting the situation right. Plus was her task was to make him leave the room, specifically, or to make him walk away from the job? Because leaving the room would be trivial, she could send him to ask the secretary or something.
Regarding kikojones' proferred possible ending (above): can you see any evidence given in the film for that? Without it, we'd have to assume that the company allowed Ricardo to perpetrate a hoax and derail its game, which wouldn't seem to fit with the film's philosophy of the power of corporations.
Regarding thomyorkeradios' preferred ending (above): Yeah, I think ending on Nieves closing the door on Carlos would have been more dramatic. But assuming the usual misogyny, I suspected she was going to be eliminated as soon as she got seduced.
I think the best alternative ending, would have been if they both stayed.
All through the process, they accepted the premise they were given too easily. They carried on accepting it, even though they had rising suspicions that the company didn't play by the rules, they gave out.
Had they both stayed, they would have shown the company that they were willing to examine and reject a premise, if they didn't find it to be valid anymore. Also if they wanted to change the company or the process, they would have to be there. Thus staying there together, they would have been able to achieve more than leaving/playing the game.