I have recently seen an excellent corporate drama – “The Company Men“. Ā It’s not your average office romance or Wall Street con action. Ā It is a film about people. Ā People, who find themselves in the middle of crashing economy, like we experience now. Ā And even though people in this film are a bit richer than average, they are still deeply affected.
In the beginning, I was a bitĀ skeptical. Ā I thought, it’s the poor people who suffer the most and who deserve the most attention. Ā But soon I discovered that I was wrong. Ā Not wrong maybe, but inaccurate. Ā It is true that poor people are affected the most. Ā But if you think about it for a moment – each and every one of us has a certain level of life, certain things that he values, certain wants and needs, certain little things. Ā And when outside circumstances make you lose those things that you enjoy and value so much, you do feel depressed, disoriented, confused, and sometimes angry. Ā And it doesn’t matter what those little things are – an extra pint of beer with friends, furniture in your house, or private jet flights.
One other important topic this film brings up is mutual respect and kindness. Ā Certain types of connections are well exposed and explained. Ā Support for local workforce, ethical business practices, corporate goals beyond pure financial benefits, are just some of the topics of this film.
What I particularly enjoyed, was how light the film felt despite all seriousness. Ā I think a lot of it was due to brilliant cast and good acting. Ā Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner – all make this movie so much better.
Overall, while this film doesn’t necessarily fit into my definition of masterpiece, I really enjoyed it and catch myself thinking a lot about it. Ā That, in my book, is worth a 5 out of 5 rating. Ā Strongly recommended.