The Company Men is about the story of rich people getting fired, and how they find their way among poor people. An oversimplification? Yes, and that’s pretty much the movie’s greatest weakness.
Sure, it’s got great actors in it. And they all do a fine job. But this movie just tries too hard and bounces back and forth between poignancy and cliché, and it makes you wonder as a movie-goer if I just got a pink slip.
The Company Men is about the story of rich people getting fired, and how they find their way among poor people. An oversimplification? Yes, and that’s pretty much the movie’s greatest weakness.
I felt this movie was a great opportunity, like The Social Network, where a movie can reflect current times and even offer some insight into them. We’re all in this together, right? But the movie stays on the surface and is afraid to go any deeper. People are laid off, CEOs make a fortune, manufacturing jobs have all gone overseas, it’s all about stock price, etc. We all know this. This is not news, nor is it revelatory in any way. Money never sleeps, right Gordon Gekko?
All of the performances are great, from Ben Affleck to Tommy Lee Jones to even Kevin Costner as the blue collar contractor who is Affleck’s brother-in-law. He is really organic. Of course after Waterworld and The Postman, you really believe he might be hanging drywall.
But the movie just goes from one heartfelt scene that resonates, like Walker not being able to except the fact that he is expendable, to an eye-rolling one as the unemployed people “bond” in the park and of course (spoiler alert, if you know nothing about movies) one guy is going to kill himself. You KNOW someone is going to kill themselves from the opening credits. Sometimes, as a movie goer, I like to be surprised. How about if someone DOESN’T kill themselves for a change?
And let’s check our math, next time, shall we? Affleck’s character Bobby Walker lives in Boston, has a huge mansion, has two kids, a Porsche, his wife doesn’t work and he’s always at the country club playing golf. Apparently his salary was $110,000 “plus bonuses” before taxes. I’d like to see that accounting work out without a heroin business on the side.
It’s too bad this movie missed the mark. The movie feels like a well acted, well directed missed opportunity. It’s not a bad film, but one that just falls short with some two dimensional character development and clichéd drama. Maybe if Hollywood millionaires actually spent some time around people who are struggling, movies about them wouldn’t feel so contrived.
–Chris Mancini
