film

Sandra Bullock plays the boss from hell in new comedy The Proposal, blackmailing downtrodden assistant Ryan Reynolds into an arranged marriage in order to help her keep her US visa and avoid deportation to Canada.

She follows in a long and glorious tradition of notorious ball-breaker bosses on the big screen. In anticipation of the film's release on 22 July, we look at some other bosses who were a hair's breadth away from being hauled in front of an employment rights tribunal.

Trading Places (1983)
Who's the boss? There are two in this instance - rich commodity brokers Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy) and his brother Mortimer (Don Ameche).
Why so mean? The Dukes exhibit a different brand of meanness altogether, appearing harmless enough on the surface but actually deeply snobbish and racist. They enjoy a wager and for their latest trifling bet, they take the hustling beggar Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) to see if they can turn him into a successful businessman - while the rich young broker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is callously framed for crimes he didn't commit.
Need to know: The movie was originally conceived as a vehicle for Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor - but once Pryor dropped out, it gave Eddie Murphy the opportunity to build on the success of 48 Hours and become a major Hollywood star.

Wall Street (1987)
Who's the boss? Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless and obscenely rich corporate raider on Wall Street.
Why so mean? Gordon's "greed is good" mantra may have chimed with the materialist excesses of the '80s, but his unscrupulous and Machiavellian nature made him a nightmare to work with, as protégée Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) learns to his cost.
Need to know: Douglas may have won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko, but he was only director Oliver Stone's third choice for the role, behind Richard Gere and Warren Beatty.

Working Girl (1988)
Who's the boss? Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), financial executive at Petty Marsh.
Why so mean? At first Katharine appears supportive and benevolent towards her ambitious new secretary Tess (Melanie Griffith). But it quickly transpires she's out to screw her assistant over: stealing her ideas and claiming them as her own in a bid to prop up her own career plans. What a bitch.
Need to know: Weaver and Griffith followed several female executives and secretaries on their hectic daily schedules in New York City and sat in during meetings to get a better idea of the industry from the female perspective.

Swimming With Sharks (1994)
Who's the boss? Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey), influential movie producer and professional misanthrope.
Why so mean? Put simply, Buddy Ackerman is the stereotype of the nasty boss: cruel, verbally abusive and deeply unpleasant in every way imaginable. Mild-mannered assistant Guy (Frank Whaley) is driven to the verge of mental breakdown by his superior's sadistic approach to man management and humiliating demands.
Need to know: Buddy Ackerman's character was allegedly inspired by real-life movie mogul Joel Silver, a famous producer director George Huang used to work for.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Who's the boss? Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), editor of glossy fashion title Runway.
Why so mean? She's pushy, arrogant, demanding, belittling and highly strung. And, worst of all, she surrounds herself with sycophantic yes men who only bolster her false sense of brilliance and self-righteousness. Argh.
Need to know: It's not such a well-kept secret that Priestly is based upon notoriously difficult Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who nevertheless claimed to like the film, and Streep's performance in particular.

The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Who's the boss? Charles Montgomery Burns, megalomaniacal owner of the Springfield nuclear power plant.
Why so mean? Harbouring a seemingly unquenchable desire to increase his own wealth and power, Mr Burns is the unacceptable face of corporate America. His long-suffering employees bear the full brunt of his tyrannical regime, their safety and well-being taking a back seat to his ruthless ambition.
Need to know: Mr Burns' first name is a reference to Charles Foster Kane, Orson Welles' reclusive media mogul in the classic Citizen Kane.

Copy: Darren Lee, Simon Ashberry