Movies Reviews

The Company Men – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Jan 14, 2011, 14:46 GMT

The story follows three men trying to survive a round of corporate downsizing at a major company. ...more

John Wells’ sophisticated meditation on change is a well told, poignant reminder of the human effects of the economic meltdown.  We’ve seen the ranks of the middle and lower class struggle with the effects of unemployment in recent ripped-from-the-headlines themed films but this is a rare look inside the executive suite.  

Well’s articulate story depicts the effects of downsizing on the very wealthy, the tiny percentage of men who make most of the money.  The cast includes Kevin Costner, Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones who appear to have worked for significantly less than their normal fees to get this small independent film off and running.  Have they been downsized too?

While the owner of a heavy manufacturing outfit GTX (Craig T. Nelson) threatens to make deep staff cuts, his best friend and partner played by Tommy Lee Jones, begs him to reconsider for the sake of the effected families. 

Jones suggests he sell off his Degas to prevent the cuts. You can nearly hear Nelson’s character snort with righteous indignation.  By the time plans for further cuts are set, to allow for a new, state of the art office building, Jones knows to stay silent. And soon he’s cut too. 

This corporate world shown here has no loyalty when money is at stake. Lifelong friendships end, hope flies out the window, and one man dies as a direct result of upper management whims.  All this so the folks at the top can hold on to a lifestyle. This sense of entitlement is nothing new, as Gordon Gekko told us, but it’s particularly galling in this day and age.

The film shows us that some people manage to shine in time of crisis. Affleck’s’ wife becomes a marvel of common sense and support when he’s turfed.  When his character is offered a job doing contracting work, it’s his turn to snort. 

He says “I don’t want to look like another a******e with a resume”. His wife reminds him gently that he is.  Jobs that meet his expectations are non-existent and something’s got to give.  A laid of executive attending a job retraining program chides the manager for calling him by his first name in a stunningly unaware faux pas. 

When another laid off GTX executive finds his wife has spent $16K on a side table, comes to his senses and walks out the door forever.  When someone tells him things will be great again, he speaks a sad truth, saying “things aren’t going to be great again.”

It’s also interesting how some characters learn and move forward and others don’t. It’s unpredictable how the human heart and mind will respond to “attack”.  It’s an ambitious and effective tale of our times, told for adults and for those suffering from joblessness through no fault of their own and feeling alone.

The performances are subtle, quiet and reflective and it’s cool to see stars submit to the big story. There are no flashy roles or camera hogs; they play nicely and deliver the story that is greater than the sum of all of their celebrity parts.

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Written and directed by John Wells
Opens: Jan 21
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language and brief nudity
Country: USA
Language: English