Packed tight with past Oscar runners, THE COMPANY MEN is a concise little film about corporate giants whose lives are defined by their bank accounts, sports cars and mansions. Built upon strong characters in a simple setting, the film never bores and paints a common riches-to-rags story that is just strong enough to hold interest.
Ben Affleck plays Bobby Walker, a 30-something sales executive for a corporate shipbuilding monster-company. Sent packing from his beloved $160K annual salary due to the recession by his bosses Sally (Maria Bello) and James (Craig T. Nelson), Bobby struggles to find work to support his lavish lifestyle and takes a charity job hanging sheetrock courtesy of his brother-in-law (Kevin Costner). Meanwhile, Bobby’s co-workers Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) and Phil (Chris Cooper) are a pair of 60-somethings who are also let go due to downsizing, and must also face great loss and desperation.
MEN is mostly Bobby’s tale; he spends nearly the entire film in denial, as he refuses to consider selling his Porsche or quitting the country club. The story shifts a little towards Phil and Gene, and a nice contrast of the two old men and the one young man is played throughout. The film stays grounded at all times; bringing about real-world problems of huge mortgages and college tuitions. It’s real and frightening all at the same time.
Directed by writer/director John Wells (ER, THE WEST WING), MEN unfortunately has a small-screen feel to it. Despite being shot beautifully, it overall feels like a concise TV season, as it too often toys with real depth and emotion and then pulls back. The characters begin to develop nicely and then stop, and it always feels like the film should be more complex then what is shown.
Acting is okay, and it’s surprising that the star-studded cast has so many problems with the Boston accent. The entire group does nothing more than drop their R’s and say fuck a lot, which adds nothing to the credibility. Affleck gets the most screen time and is very good throughout. Cooper is also good, and Jones does little more than sulk for most of the ride.
The finale wraps up a little too much on the neat and tidy side, which adds to the small-screen vibe. It’s a tad frustrating as the characters so often suggest a stronger finale. Still, the film has a strong message of perseverance throughout, and is worth a look. Just not right away.
BOTTOM LINE: Rent it
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