Review of The Company You Keep (2012) by Nick O — 17 Apr 2013

Loads more interesting than "The Conspirator", "The Company You Keep" is still pretty lukewarm considering the white heat of the history it's digging up and at least trying to start a conversation around, what secrets and consequences mean in the grand scheme of a movement, said movement's meanings, provocations, etc.

It doesn't really stoke the fire so much as it does swat at the flames, making for a movie about ends justifying the means, and a roll call of people (Redford is characteristically generous with his characters) who only keep arguing to be left alone.

Journalism is tricky stuff. "Company" kicks up a lot of things, and it has its moments of enlightenment and intrusiveness, but it's never enlightening ENOUGH, never intrusive ENOUGH. It's fine for what it is, but especially with Lem Dobbs doing the screenplay this could have been a lot more.

Sundance kid.