Review of The Company Men (2010) by Sidney S — 20 Oct 2013

An excellent business film that goes outside the life of the corporate office. This film features a great script that gives equal screen time for each of its talented cast.

As a business major I understand many of the themes and issues discussed, so a film like this would appeal to me. I like the Company Men because it differs from films like Wall Street and Boiler Room, simply being about playing the stock market and making money. This film showcases the high class business men where after the American economy hits a recession they lose their jobs. The film details the course of the next year, struggling, job hunting and being strapped for cash, determining how to make payments and keep their family out of bankruptcy.

This film is great because it is able to balance out these men's professional lives as well as family lives. It really shows their struggle the emotion, they are characters you can identify with and sympathize with. Its sad because this happened to thousands of people across the US during the recession, ones that were important business people, how the upper class people began to fall.

The Company Men has a top notch cast with great performances. The best performance of this whole film goes to Ben Affleck in the lead role. Bobby Walker has a high ranking job, family, kids, Porsche but after the cutbacks he is left unemployed and we watch how he is not used to being this down on luck, the embarrassment of job loss and striving to be successful. Affleck shows great emotion in the role with frustration as well as sadness specifically in his interview when he freaked out, as well as scenes with his wife. A great actor and overlooked performance. Tommy Lee Jones, and Chris Cooper are also great in their roles. Jones playing how even and a high ranking respected older member of a company is not safe. Cooper plays a man who's life is completely dedicated to his job that the cutbacks have a severe impact on his life that lead to an emotional end to him. Kevin Costner also adds to the cast as Affleck's brother in law in construction who temporarily employs him during his job search, even as the film progresses you see he himself is also strapped for money.

This is a great examination of the business life and how economics can impact jobs, and their lives. It balances out each character and ties them in together perfectly, to a triumphant ending.