Review of The Company Men (2010) by Dave R — 11 Jun 2011

John Wells plays restrained, cliched sermonizing very well here, and gets the most out of a talented cast, but besides the timing at which it comes out, his film falls a little flat. That's not to say that it's not well done, it's just very lean, bare bones.

It's an honest and even passionate film, but there is very little the film has to work with that will break it out of its historical and economical context; honestly, it feels more like statment fiction than a fictional statement on the current climate of things.

I will say this, where Up in the Air failed, this one succeeds, this is more believable within that area, even more realistic and personal to a degree, but where Up in the Air crafted more of a story and characters, this one lacks.

I wanted to feel more, and maybe did in certain scenes, but it never quite felt well-rounded enough of a picture. The best part is Roger Deakins's stunning, subtle cinematography which beautifies the film beyond its (sort of) bland subject matter.

Great performances and decent writing save this from being a bore.