`COMPANY OF MEN' AN EXERCISE IN CRUEL, CLINICAL EXTREMITIES.Byline: Bob Strauss Daily News Film Critic Men behave very badly in Neil LaBute's stunningly corrosive filmmaking debut, ``In the Company of Men.'' An outrageous concept given a disorienting dis·o·ri·ent tr.v. dis·o·ri·ent·ed, dis·o·ri·ent·ing, dis·o·ri·ents To cause (a person, for example) to experience disorientation. Adj. 1. , straightforward presentation, it's the kind of coolly perverse exercise that makes you want to laugh and run screaming for shelter at the same time. Exploring the outer limits of movie misogyny misogyny /mi·sog·y·ny/ (mi-soj´i-ne) hatred of women. mi·sog·y·ny n. Hatred of women. mi·sog - the pure viciousness on display here makes ``Carnal carnal adjective Referring to the flesh, to baser instincts, often referring to sexual “knowledge” Knowledge'' look like an ode to sensitivity - the film would virtually reek were it not for LaBute's strong formal control, brilliant ear for dialogue and sharp insights into human nature. The cast does the rest. Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy and Stacy Edwards, all essentially unknowns, bring rare passion and conviction to their work that's something of a testament to the movie's sick but persuasive thesis: nothing inspires some individuals quite like the darkest of projects. The evil genius here is Eckhart's Chad, a handsome young business executive nursing an astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, contempt for just about everyone, but particularly for women. The only person he appears to care about is a nerdier college chum and co-worker, Howard (Malloy). On their way to a six-week project at a small-town branch office of their nameless, characterless company, Chad and Howard grouse grouse, common name for a game bird of the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 18 species. Grouse are henlike terrestrial birds, protectively plumaged in shades of red, brown, and gray. about their stupid bosses and the predatory, even younger colleagues who are after their jobs. But mostly, they complain about the women they've loved and lost. One cocktail-fueled night, Chad hatches a plan. They'll scope out the most vulnerable lady in the branch office, both come onto her strong, then drop her without remorse when the job is done. It'll be therapeutic, Chad assures Howard, as well as tons of fun. Once in cow town,, Satan's frat boys zero in on a deaf typist, Christine (Edwards). As the plot thickens, both men appear to develop genuine affection for her (significantly, Chad only discusses his tenderer feelings while Howard acts his out). Things get even nastier than planned, especially when a logical but still devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. surprise is revealed. Sort of a '90s corporate update of ``Dangerous Liaisons''-style romantic power plays, ``Company of Men'' has more than just a lopsided battle of the sexes on its twisted agenda. It's also about professional insecurity as a pathological way of life, hatred as a means of getting through an alternately stressful and boring workday. And it's about getting away with a kind of murder, in a manner we're just not conditioned to accept from our movies. Chad and Howard's toxic attitudes spill out into wide-screen frames that have an unfinished, antiseptic quality to them. The branch office is never complete, its empty walls and carpeted cubicles effectively isolating the inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. from genuine contact. It's a perfect environment for appalling notions to fester fester /fes·ter/ (fes´ter) to suppurate superficially. fes·ter v. 1. To ulcerate. 2. To form pus; putrefy. n. An ulcer. and thrive, camouflaged as tossed-off, workaday grumbling. ``In the Company of Men'' will, of course, be just too cruel, and too clinical about it, for some. Don't be surprised to hear it both praised for its enlightened feminism and damned for its unconscionable Unusually harsh and shocking to the conscience; that which is so grossly unfair that a court will proscribe it. When a court uses the word unconscionable to describe conduct, it means that the conduct does not conform to the dictates of conscience. machismo machismo Exaggerated pride in masculinity, perceived as power, often coupled with a minimal sense of responsibility and disregard of consequences. In machismo there is supreme valuation of characteristics culturally associated with the masculine and a denigration of , condemned as gratuitously male-bashing and championed for its unflinching candidness. There is no prescribed response to a movie as unforgiving as this one, and that's its great, refreshing strength. THE FACTS The film: ``In the Company of Men'' (R; language, sex). The stars: Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy, Stacy Edwards. Behind the scenes: Written and directed by Neil LaBute. Produced by Mark Archer and Stephen Pevner. Released by Sony Pictures Classics. Running time: One hour, 33 minutes. Playing: Sunset 5, West Hollywood; Colorado, Pasadena; Goldwyn Pavilion, West Los Angeles
Our rating: Three and One Half Stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Matt Malloy (Howard) and Aaron Eckhart (Chad) bring rare passion and conviction to their ``In the Company of Men'' roles. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion