The Company Men

(Synopsis) When the GTX Corporation must cut jobs to improve the company's balance sheet during the 2010 recession, thousands of employees like Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) will take the hit. The company really doesn't care about their employees who have given many years of loyal and faithful service. To the company they are not faces, but only numbers. Bobby learns the real life consequences of not having a job. Not only does he see a change in his family lifestyle, and the loss of his home, but also his feelings of self-worth.

(My Comment) This is a story of what many workers in the U.S. are enduring during the present economic crisis. Many companies are cutting jobs by the thousands to placate their shareholders by reducing the company's employee overhead and hopefully driving up their stock price. Actually the movie shows the hardships and what can happen to anyone, including people in management, when they no longer have a job. It first affects them internally, then their families, and finally the communities they live in. Out of work people first resist changing their lifestyles, then they go into denial, and finally acceptance of the hand they have been dealt. Ben Affleck's outstanding performance of enduring disappointment of not finding a job and worry for not providing for his family proved this point. The moral of the story is that we should not take our jobs for granted. (The Weinstein Company, 1:49 Rated R) (7/10)

Whether we like it or not the last couple of years have been incredibly tough, and TCM though not perfect at least tries to make an honest film about downsizing in corporate America.

We really really got this - we all know someone whose lost their home, their job, or just found that the money isn't there the way it was - and those who reviewed this and said the films doesn't work as the characters have still got it good just don't get the college payments, the mortgage, the fear of losing it all, and the horrendous amount of money it takes to maintain a life in the US now is astronomical - and TCM at least looks at this as no other film has in the past three years.

Solid performances from everyone and Affleck in particular echoing his roles in Man about Town or Jersey Girl does a solid job here as the man who has it all and then has nothing.

It it does try to record something which otherwise seems to be in danger of being swept under the carpet - this is a well-made film that rings true and for our money was actually one of the more memorable and yes, even moving, films of the year - it is accessible and a likable film.

"The Company Men" is one of those that really showcases what it's been like the last couple of years especially in the corporate world of how the layoffs and downsizing have affected many families and the lives of other people. It shows that it's tough when you fall down and that life is hard when you have to adjust economically really one has to rediscover their fate and way of living.

Set in Boston at the height of the economic crisis and collapse director John Wells paints a pretty and somewhat unpleasant picture of how the corporate world changes many lives by downsizing. It centers around the lives of three men who work at a corporate company GTX. And top sells leader Bobby Walker(Ben Affleck)all of a sudden one day is canned and let go as the company can't afford to pay his salary as demands and stocks fall along with the sales of GTX. Then next is a veteran manager Phil Woodward(Chris Cooper)a man who somewhat is cut in the back and let go in a harsh way. And this greatly affects the life of both it even drives Phil to a deadly depression. And Bobby's world is turned upside down as going from $120,000 a year to roughly $60,000 to maybe $80,000 is a big drop. As it affected Bobby's money world no more golf lessons, gone is the expensive car and maybe Patriot tickets.

Heartfelt and life changing is seeing Bobby take up working construction for his wife's brother(Kevin Costner)going from suit and tie to hard hat! The wild card and conflicted character in the movie is veteran GTX manager Gene McClary(Tommy Lee Jones)a man who's loyal yet hard headed for the company in the meantime deep down Gene knows what's going on at GTX is not right. Plus McClary is a very conflicted man he's stressed plus he's cheating on his wife with a company employee the sexy and elegant Sally Wilcox(Maria Bello).

During it all the trio of men feel the highs and lows of life and it's ever changing economic and social climates. Really it's a time to ponder and rediscover as it proves for both Bobby and Gene it's never late to start over even if it is less still it's a change and rediscovery of happiness. Overall good film that captures the reality of the corporate and economic recessions of the last few years it's so true of how companies do downsizing of their men which alters and changes lives forever.

What a great story! The recession is not the story here - the different paths the characters take as they wrestle with reality and their own identities is the point, and their arcs are wonderfully developed.

This is the best performance I've seen from Ben Affleck. All of the main actors give textured, subtle portrayals that are natural and convincing despite familiarity with their faces.

This was a timely film given that the subject matter is the effect on men of losing their jobs and, as a result, their feelings of worth, their status within the world and to a certain extent their identity. It is not only timely in fact but it also had the potential to be very smart in regards the characters and the commentary on the challenges that start with money problems but go much deeper. To a certain extent the film manages to do this because it is at its best when it allows the characters to simply be on the screen and struggling with their situations, but there is a generalness to it that prevents it being consistently engaging and smart.

The nature of the characters is a big part of it – perhaps not for everyone but for most viewers the problems of laid off executives may not be the easiest subject to care too much about. I know ultimately they are all people, but the problems of those having to give up Ferraris or no longer being able to maintain the lavish lifestyle they once had is not the most accessible of things; and it is a problem that it never quite shakes off because again of this general approach. The characters are interesting still though and it is a decent stab at seeing the struggle of becoming unemployed after many years working, it just doesn't do it well enough. The main character comes over as arrogant and ungrateful for too long – it is necessary at first but later on it becomes grating as it combines with his own decision to live to the maximum of his means rather than being a little more modest and saving some of his large income. The older characters get away with this a bit more since their stories tend to be more about the emotional impact rather than events and this does buy the film some good material but not enough to make up for the weaknesses in its central character.

The cast help this a lot, even though they are nearly too distracting by how many famous faces there are. Affleck has the most time but does the least with it as he never manages to make a person from his situation and only just stops being annoying in time for a sentimental conclusion. Jones and Cooper are much better in their roles and they have more of the heart to play. Bello, Costner, Nelson and others are good in support; Walker is sadly only notable for how much weight he has put on since I first saw him in Oz.

The Company Men had potential to explore the male characters in a way that minimizes the distraction of their previous incomes however it doesn't quite manage it. The cast mostly do well but the central concept is too focused on events and too focused on an upbeat conclusion that the subject doesn't really merit.