Review of In the Company of Men (1995) by Daniel A — 01 Feb 2011

Depicting psychological and emotional abuse at its most brutal, In The Company of Men is a vicious film that shows just how cruel the human condition can be. That said, I still enjoyed almost every minute of it.

When you think about the all time greatest movie villains, we immediately go for the likes of Hannibal Lecter, The Joker, or Cruella de Vil. All pretty conventional bad guys; no matter how much depth Heath Ledger might have brought to his portrayal of The Joker, it's clear from the off that this guy is pure evil. However step up Aaron Eckhart as Chad, a seemingly nice guy from the office with a well-concealed mean streak. Out of boredom he presents his buddy Howard (Matt Malloy) with a proposition: find a vulnerable girl, specifically one who's attractive but somehow handicapped, simultaneously seduce her, make her fall in love with you, then kick her to the curb. Enter Christine, a beautiful but shy typist who just happens to be deaf, and the game is well and truly on.

Don't think it sounds that evil? Well watch the movie and then get back to me. The story is just twisted, but the fact is it's very well executed, and for that reason I found myself progressively more rapt by how painful the whole thing was. Much of this comes down to the trio of leads, who each put in strong performances. Eckhart is perfectly cast as the sleazy, power-hungry instigator. His addiction to causing others pain for no apparent reason is sickening, but makes for a fascinating character as you try to figure out his motives, or whether he even has any. Meanwhile Malloy does a decent job as the dopey sidekick trying to keep his head above water both at work and in his private life, but it's relatively unknown Stacy Edwards who steals the show as unsuspecting Christine. Her performance triumphs not only in its convincing portrayal of a deaf woman, but also in the emotion she brings to the part; her reaction to discovering the truth of her situation is just heartbreaking.

Screenwriter-director Neil LaBute also does a fine job. Yet to top his debut here, his dialogue-heavy script is balanced perfectly with a surprisingly atmospheric visual style that effectively captures the monotonous qualities of the office with a rare freshness. Though the plot is somewhat lacking in actual events, the performances and snappy dialogue see the viewer through to the conclusion which will leave you questioning how much lower this character can go.

Naturally In The Company of Men is not a particularly easy film to watch, but is certainly good enough to warrant a viewing. For fans of black comedy and tales of human indecency this is a must.