Review of The Company Men (2010) by Gavin S — 11 Sep 2011

If this movie had been less about Affleck's character, and more about Chris Cooper or Tommy Lee Jones, it would have been much better. That being said, the acting was great, as I hated Affleck's character tremendously, he's an arrogant, egotistical prick who feels that he's entitled to be handed a job the day after being fired. I also wondered how his wife and kids would still even want to know the guy, as he's a total dick. In fact, it takes his kid making a selfless gesture to get him to go and take a job with his brother in law (a solid Kevin Coster) in construction. So either Affleck is getting better as an actor, or he's easy enough to dislike in real life...I think a little from Column A, a little from Column B.

Chris Cooper plays another older guy at the same company as Affleck and Jones, who gets laid off as well, and you can't help but really feel for his character, and what it's like for a nearly 60yr old who has been with the company for decades.

Tommy Lee Jones plays one of the senior men, a founder of the company, who is the moral backbone of the film. Surrounded by wealth and opulence, he has done his best to ensure that Cooper and Affleck remain untouched by cutbacks, and when they are cut, he really seems to care. His storyline arc was fleshed out a bit, but less on Affleck and more on the 2 older guys would have been a more captivating film for me.

Great performances all around though.