4 stars out of 4
Added 4/5/2009
The Bottom Line:
In the Company of Men doesn't always have the most innovative direction or impressive production values, but it's exceptionally well-written and acted, telling a story of evil all the more persuasively for its lack of gunfights and long-winded speeches; a rather harrowing movie that has lost little in the decade since its release, ItCoM will get under your skin and stay there.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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In The Company Of Men
Added 2/9/2009
They say the sign of a great movie is if it makes you think about it the day after seeing it. You'll be thinking about this movie for a couple days.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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One of the Most Mean-Spirited and Misanthropic Movies Ever Made
Added 10/14/2008
Two alpha-male business men on a business trip, Chad (Aaron Eckhart) and Howard (Matt Malloy), set out to destroy a deaf woman, Christine (Stacy Edwards), by getting her to fall in love with them and then dumping her, in order to get revenge on women in general.
"In the Company of Men" is possibly one of the most mean-spirited and misanthropic movies that I have ever seen (I say misanthropic rather than misogynistic, since, although many of the characters in the film are misogynists, the one major female character in this film, Christine, is presented as a nice person who does not deserve to be tormented by the likes of Chad, while the male characters are presented as being complete jerks). As a result, it is not a film to be enjoyed (although I did laugh, in spite of myself, at a number of places throughout the film), but it is a fascinating and totally believable study of the cruelty that human beings are capable of. It is made all the more effective and frightening by the fact that this cruelty is executed in a bloodless (and legal) manner. If Chad and Howard were torturing people in a manner like the killer in the "Saw" movies, I could tell myself that none of this is real and that most people aren't capable of such actions, but when the weapons of torture are words rather than knives, the idea of people like this existing in the real world becomes all the more plausible. Worse still is the fact that, even while "torturing" Christine, Chad still manages to come across as being charming and attractive, which is how he can succeed in the first place.
This movie was the film debut of playwright Neil LaBute. Although the script of this film was written as an original screenplay, LaBute's stage background is clearly evident in it, and the film has a very stagy feel to it. This is the main thing I didn't like about this movie. On the other hand, Aaron Eckhart, in his first cinematic starring role, is absolutely brilliant as a conscienceless sociopath. It is Eckhart who makes this film, and from this movie, it is easy to see why he went on to bigger and better things. See this film along with "Thank You For Smoking" and marvel at the brilliance of Eckhart.
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very dark, brooding, and disturbing comedy
Added 2/16/2008
An unbelievably brilliant, cold blooded, mean, cruel, comedic drama. This is the first movie I saw Aaron Eckhart in, and he plays his role brilliantly.
I don't want to give too much away, but his portrayal of the psychopathic mind is absolutely flawless. And it is one of those films where every time you watch it, you see something deeper - an angle, lighting, music, etc. And the ending is like - holy god.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Disturbing
Added 1/18/2008
This movie was very good but very disturbing and VERY mean spirited. Aaron Eckhart shines and is the stand out in this role. I liked it but I am not sure it is for everybody cause it is just a nasty movie.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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4 stars out of 4
Added 4/5/2009
The Bottom Line:
In the Company of Men doesn't always have the most innovative direction or impressive production values, but it's exceptionally well-written and acted, telling a story of evil all the more persuasively for its lack of gunfights and long-winded speeches; a rather harrowing movie that has lost little in the decade since its release, ItCoM will get under your skin and stay there.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
In The Company Of Men
Added 2/9/2009
They say the sign of a great movie is if it makes you think about it the day after seeing it. You'll be thinking about this movie for a couple days.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
One of the Most Mean-Spirited and Misanthropic Movies Ever Made
Added 10/14/2008
Two alpha-male business men on a business trip, Chad (Aaron Eckhart) and Howard (Matt Malloy), set out to destroy a deaf woman, Christine (Stacy Edwards), by getting her to fall in love with them and then dumping her, in order to get revenge on women in general.
"In the Company of Men" is possibly one of the most mean-spirited and misanthropic movies that I have ever seen (I say misanthropic rather than misogynistic, since, although many of the characters in the film are misogynists, the one major female character in this film, Christine, is presented as a nice person who does not deserve to be tormented by the likes of Chad, while the male characters are presented as being complete jerks). As a result, it is not a film to be enjoyed (although I did laugh, in spite of myself, at a number of places throughout the film), but it is a fascinating and totally believable study of the cruelty that human beings are capable of. It is made all the more effective and frightening by the fact that this cruelty is executed in a bloodless (and legal) manner. If Chad and Howard were torturing people in a manner like the killer in the "Saw" movies, I could tell myself that none of this is real and that most people aren't capable of such actions, but when the weapons of torture are words rather than knives, the idea of people like this existing in the real world becomes all the more plausible. Worse still is the fact that, even while "torturing" Christine, Chad still manages to come across as being charming and attractive, which is how he can succeed in the first place.
This movie was the film debut of playwright Neil LaBute. Although the script of this film was written as an original screenplay, LaBute's stage background is clearly evident in it, and the film has a very stagy feel to it. This is the main thing I didn't like about this movie. On the other hand, Aaron Eckhart, in his first cinematic starring role, is absolutely brilliant as a conscienceless sociopath. It is Eckhart who makes this film, and from this movie, it is easy to see why he went on to bigger and better things. See this film along with "Thank You For Smoking" and marvel at the brilliance of Eckhart.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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