Z At The Movies 10.14.02: In The Company Of Men Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 10.14.2002
Need something good to rent, but you either have seen all the new releases or nothing looks good? Click the link to find a classic old movie you may have missed!
First off, welcome to the brand-spanking new 411 Movies Zone. Ashish, Widro, and the rest of the crew are committed to bringing you readers the very best in film reviews, movie news, etc. This is the first installment of my weekly column, in which I will recommend and provide a review of an older movie that I feel should have gotten more attention than it did. This week’s entry, Neil LaBute’s scathing 1997 film, In the Company of Men.
Some movies can be very difficult on an actor. By challenging emotions (Tom Hanks in Philadelphia), trying to portray a historical figure accurately (Jim Carrey in Man On The Moon), or maybe even enduring hours upon hours of meticulous makeup (Willem Dafoe in Shadow Of The Vampire), actors are constantly tested. But how about playing a character that is such an asshole that after watching the film, people would not even speak to him. That was Aaron Eckhart’s punishment for giving one of the finest performances of the decade, the smooth talking businessman Chad in this film, LaBute’s directorial debut.
Great young writer/directors have been popping up all over Hollywood lately. P.T. Anderson (Magnolia, Boogie Nights), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense) are just a few of the names that have been showered with critical and public praise. But why is LaBute not in this group? I personally cannot figure it out, as his films are just as good as Anderson’s and Jonze’s, and better than Shyamalan’s. Maybe it’s the subject matter. LaBute’s writing is so real, so effective, and so brutal perhaps many cannot handle it. Perhaps audiences cannot fathom the thought of two men seducing a deaf girl with the sole purpose of dumping her later, just to get back at women. Could that be it?
Because that is the plot of Company, an unbelievably brilliant film. Two men, Chad (Eckhart) and Howard (the excellent Matt Malloy) are sent on a special assignment for their company, but the audience is never told what they are actually doing or whom they work for. They have both been jilted by the opposite sex. Chad is bitter about it, Howard melancholy. It is Chad who is the true instigator, coming up with the plan for both men to seduce a woman then dump her when the “assignment” is over. Even better, Chad decides, would be to pick a woman with a physical handicap. Not more than a few days later, Christine (the beautiful and talented Stacy Edwards) falls into their laps. Christine happens to be deaf; the perfect victim they decide.
The plan works brilliantly. Christine, unaccustomed to such attention from the opposite sex, falls for both Chad and Howard initially. But as time goes on, her affection truly resides with Chad, just as Howard starts to really care about her.
The performances here are some of the best of the 1990’s. Malloy is the glue, as he acts as the voice of reason, the polar opposite to Chad. Howard is easily manipulated, as Chad proves early on, but Howard comes to his senses late in the film, but I will not reveal the film’s resolution. Stacy Edwards was perfect for the role, as she captures the sweetness and vulnerability as perhaps no one else could. Her reactions are of course dictated by the script, but she is so brilliant with the material. As previously stated, Aaron Eckhart dominates the film. Anyone who saw his performance in Erin Brockovich (the highlight of an otherwise dismal film) would be blown away by the fierce, bloodthirsty nature of his character here. It is one of the finest performances I have seen to this day, a performance few actors would have the skill or the guts to pull off.
But the real star of the film is Neil LaBute. The first time writer/director has simply made a fantastic film. He doesn’t do anything fancy (the camera hardly moves), he just tells the story in the vicious, brutal manner the content deserves. The dialogue is crisp, realistic, and downright chilling at times. If a filmmaker could ever make a film this good, let alone in their debut, they should be able to retire happy. Thankfully, LaBute has no intention of doing so.
Check for In the Company of Men in either the comedy or drama sections at your local video stores. It should not be too hard to find, and I promise it would be worth your while.
