Source: MovieJungle.com By: Steve Ramos Writer, Movie Jungle Its impressive ensemble makes 'Company Men' a worthy downsizing drama.If one agrees with director Jason Reitman that his comic drama "Up in the Air" is about more than corporate downsizing (I do), then veteran TV producer and fledgling filmmaker John Wells has the authentic cinematic companion piece to the American recession with his slick, job loss drama "The Company Men". Making its debut recently in the Premieres section of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, "The Company Men" is as polished and audience friendly as one would expect from the producer behind TV hits "ER" and "The West Wing". What "Company Men" lacks in narrative surprises, it makes up with impressive ensemble casting, stunning camerawork and timely storytelling that owes plenty to Frank Capra-inspired sentimentality.Wells has also created tailor made roles for Tommy Lee Jones (a corporate exec struggling to do right), Ben Affleck (a fast-rising exec shocked by his job loss) and Chris Cooper (a corporate vet struggling with his obsolescence in the job market). Watching this trio bring to life the concerns and worries of the American worker is a wonderful, if somewhat heart-wrenching, experience.Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is a successful salesman for a Boston- based transportation conglomerate convinced he's safe from the current downsizing until a pink slip lands at his office door. Confident that an equal job is just around the corner, Walker sees his upper-middle-class lifestyle and self-esteem eroding as he waits for the job offer that never comes. Walker is not alone in his frustration. Company vet Phil Woodward (Cooper), someone who rose through the ranks from the factory floor, is a laid-off manager incapable of re-inventing himself. Gene McClary (Jones) is the head of the company's shipbuilding unit who tries unsuccessfully to stop the mass layoffs. Sally Wilcox (Maria Bello) is McClary's confidant and the HR supervisor in charge of the supervising. Together, they comprise the shell-shocked landscape of corporate America and it's hard to imagine how Wells came up with a happy ending.Cameraman Roger Deakins (“The Reader”, “Revolutionary Road”) makes epic use of the emptied office cubicles, affluent Boston suburbs and vacant shipyards. Thanks to his artistic eye, Company Men is as polished as any awards-oriented Hollywood production. Editor Rob Frazen keeps the ensemble storytelling coherent and fast-paced. For Wells, both writer and director of this job loss drama, it's his pinpoint casting that ultimately makes the film stand out.The testosterone is overwhelming throughout the male-oriented, ensemble cast with Affleck finding a role perfect for his egotistical personality and frat boy looks. Cooper puts his hound dog looks to great use as a company loyalist unprepared for the age bias facing him in the job market. Craig T. Nelson makes the most of his brief scenes as the corporate CEO who sees the massive layoffs as a financial necessity and Kevin Costner puts his aw-shucks personality to good use as Walker's blue-collar brother-in-law who offers him a much-needed job.Wells clumsily keeps the women of the story off to the side although Maria Bello shines through as a HR exec committed to the downsizing.Granted, there are few surprises in the film but it's a pleasure to watch Jones, Affleck and Cooper create their own distinct versions of the 21st-century working male.Still available for sale in the week following Sundance, Wells can claim a well-told, timely, polished debut feature that would be a box- office friendly addition to any distributor's lineup. More importantly, “Company Men” ushers a new chapter in Wells' impressive career. Already at success at bringing other artists' stories to life, Wells can now step forward as a successful storyteller in his own right.Cast: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Maria BelloDirector: John WellsScreenwriter: John WellsCinematographer: Roger DeakinsEditor: Rob FrazenRunning Time: 123 minsProducers: Battle Mountain Films, Spring Creek ProductionsVisit the "Company Men" group for movie details, images from Sundance and other upcoming additions
Its impressive ensemble makes 'Company Men' a worthy downsizing drama.
If one agrees with director Jason Reitman that his comic drama "Up in the Air" is about more than corporate downsizing (I do), then veteran TV producer and fledgling filmmaker John Wells has the authentic cinematic companion piece to the American recession with his slick, job loss drama "The Company Men". Making its debut recently in the Premieres section of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, "The Company Men" is as polished and audience friendly as one would expect from the producer behind TV hits "ER" and "The West Wing". What "Company Men" lacks in narrative surprises, it makes up with impressive ensemble casting, stunning camerawork and timely storytelling that owes plenty to Frank Capra-inspired sentimentality.Wells has also created tailor made roles for Tommy Lee Jones (a corporate exec struggling to do right), Ben Affleck (a fast-rising exec shocked by his job loss) and Chris Cooper (a corporate vet struggling with his obsolescence in the job market). Watching this trio bring to life the concerns and worries of the American worker is a wonderful, if somewhat heart-wrenching, experience.Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is a successful salesman for a Boston- based transportation conglomerate convinced he's safe from the current downsizing until a pink slip lands at his office door. Confident that an equal job is just around the corner, Walker sees his upper-middle-class lifestyle and self-esteem eroding as he waits for the job offer that never comes. Walker is not alone in his frustration. Company vet Phil Woodward (Cooper), someone who rose through the ranks from the factory floor, is a laid-off manager incapable of re-inventing himself. Gene McClary (Jones) is the head of the company's shipbuilding unit who tries unsuccessfully to stop the mass layoffs. Sally Wilcox (Maria Bello) is McClary's confidant and the HR supervisor in charge of the supervising. Together, they comprise the shell-shocked landscape of corporate America and it's hard to imagine how Wells came up with a happy ending.Cameraman Roger Deakins (“The Reader”, “Revolutionary Road”) makes epic use of the emptied office cubicles, affluent Boston suburbs and vacant shipyards. Thanks to his artistic eye, Company Men is as polished as any awards-oriented Hollywood production. Editor Rob Frazen keeps the ensemble storytelling coherent and fast-paced. For Wells, both writer and director of this job loss drama, it's his pinpoint casting that ultimately makes the film stand out.The testosterone is overwhelming throughout the male-oriented, ensemble cast with Affleck finding a role perfect for his egotistical personality and frat boy looks. Cooper puts his hound dog looks to great use as a company loyalist unprepared for the age bias facing him in the job market. Craig T. Nelson makes the most of his brief scenes as the corporate CEO who sees the massive layoffs as a financial necessity and Kevin Costner puts his aw-shucks personality to good use as Walker's blue-collar brother-in-law who offers him a much-needed job.Wells clumsily keeps the women of the story off to the side although Maria Bello shines through as a HR exec committed to the downsizing.Granted, there are few surprises in the film but it's a pleasure to watch Jones, Affleck and Cooper create their own distinct versions of the 21st-century working male.Still available for sale in the week following Sundance, Wells can claim a well-told, timely, polished debut feature that would be a box- office friendly addition to any distributor's lineup. More importantly, “Company Men” ushers a new chapter in Wells' impressive career. Already at success at bringing other artists' stories to life, Wells can now step forward as a successful storyteller in his own right.Cast: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Maria BelloDirector: John WellsScreenwriter: John WellsCinematographer: Roger DeakinsEditor: Rob FrazenRunning Time: 123 minsProducers: Battle Mountain Films, Spring Creek Productions
Visit the "Company Men" group for movie details, images from Sundance and other upcoming additions