In the Company of Men

 

 

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It's difficult to put 5 stars to such a movie. Not because it's not a good film, but because the reasons are different from any other reason why you would rate a film high.
In the Company of Men is NOT pleasant to watch. It's cruel, blunt, dark and above all, spot on in its portrayal of a real psychopath, a man with no conscience and no deep feeling. The snake-in-suit /charming / confident / slick type. The kind many women would be fooled by.
In the Company of Men tells the disturbing story of 2 successful men -- One, the psychopath. The other, his more human, but weak "friend". These snakes-in-suit, disappointed with their relationships with women, decide to take a general revenge on them, by selecting the most naive and uncorrupted girl they can find in the company they work for. The objective is to date her, make her feel loved and special, and then drop her in the cruellest way possible, to destroy her emotionally. There is absolutely no sentimentality in the narrative nor in the male characters (ie, they are not modern Valmont's from Dangerous Liaisons, who at the last minute realise they have fallen in love with their "victim"). Even the alleged "good guy" is just a coward, a mysoginist who passively accepts to take part in the "game" and has no real empathy for their feminine victim.
This movie also portrays in a realistic manner the psychopathic corporate environment in all its splendor.
The story is disturbing in that it really is coldly and clinically told : the monster guy is shown for what he is : cold and cynical, and a woman hater, with no feeling or remorse. He is shown without the caricatural touch one can find in American Psycho and which gave a somewhat grotesque, even 'funny' touch to the main character Bateman.
Despite the fact that In the Company of Men is not enjoyable to watch, it's a good illustration of pure psychopaths, therefore it SHOULD be seen, for pedagogic reasons. Maybe it can help people getting in touch with this problem of psychopathy, this disease spreading in our world like plague. To watch in parallel with the reading of the Sociopath Next Door, by Martha Stout.
(NB : IMDB rates this movie as a "comedy". Clearly, this is NOT a comedy!)

I usually do not review movies on Amazon unless it is a movie that is profound and left me pondering. This is one such movie. For those of you guys who are interested in watching/buying it, may I suggest that you do not watch it on a romantic "movie night out." This show will evaporate any romantic mood you may have. Trust me on this one. It can turn your girlfriend into a misandrist. For the ladies, if you want to watch it, please prepare yourself and keep an open mind...

As most reviewers already said, this is one heck of a disturbing movie. The premise is that 2 men (Chad and Howard) are out to "play" a woman, make her fall in love, and then rip her heart out, figuratively speaking. Since it isn't a Hollywood stylized movie, don't expect a happy and cozy ending. Some of the scenes are quite provocative yet realistic. I can see it happening in ordinary day-to-day living. You're more likely to see a scene in this movie than a scene in than cutesy "My Best Friend's Wedding." Because this is a dark comedy, most people will not be comfortable with it. It isn't something we expect to see, since it conflicts a lot with our own moral ethics.

The technicalities of the movie is quite poor, and I'm going to have to deduct 1 star for that. Video and sound quality is really awful, poorer than the average Indie movie. There are very few sound effects, hardly any musical, and the voice recordings have static. Video quality is grainy and low in saturation, it really look like playing from a VCR (even though I'm watching the DVD version).

Here's more extraneous info: my take on the moral of this story is that if you are a guy, don't be a jerk like Chad. But also, don't be a wishy-washy weakling like Howard; stand your ground, and don't get pushed around. Both characters have their strengths and weakness. But I think both end up being the losers, even though the movie victimizes Howard more since he is the "nice guy." I thought Howard would have more of a backbone, but I am disappointed that in the end, he never really stood up for himself.

Neil Labute's In The Company of Men is a misogynistic look at the way men has to conquer women in and out of the bedroom. The great Aaron Eckhart plays a womanizer who makes a bet with a fellow co-worker to seduce a young deaf woman, and dump her in order to feed their misogynistic egos. In their pursuit of this innocent woman, they wine and dine her, and ultimately humiliate her in such a way that can only be describes as inhuman, and evil. Neil Labute's psychological masterpiece is a very sobering look at the game both sexes play, and the cruelty that we can inflict on ourselves.

Prepare to be disturbed.

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5.0 out of 5 stars a great movie for the jaded
In the Company of Men is a wonderful movie that I watch at least twice a year. I first saw this movie at a University Film Festival. I was hooked. Read more

Published on Jun 20 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars PERVERSELY SADISTIC BUT INTRIGUING
A fairly unusual indie offering with mean characters. Not Hannibal type evil mean with bizarre psychological underpinnings or deep-seated childhood traumas. Read more

Published on May 28 2004 by Shashank Tripathi

5.0 out of 5 stars If you've ever been jilted by a woman....
Try this one on for size and comfort.

Interesting background on this. I had recently been having some major problems with my ex wife, my friend had been cheated on and dumped... Read more

Published on Feb 10 2004 by N. S. Barnes

5.0 out of 5 stars Horrifying.
Neil Labuteï¿s In The Company of Men is a misogynistic look at the way men has to conquer women in and out of the bedroom. Read more

Published on Jan 7 2004 by Steaphin Gray

5.0 out of 5 stars Eckhart makes this a masterpiece
dark comedy about Eckhart and his buddies prank calling a deaf woman..they offer her a date and then they would dump her, because he hates upper class women but then Eckhart takes... Read more

Published on Dec 6 2003 by Michael Bolts

5.0 out of 5 stars The true face of evil...
One of the most brutally subversive films of the 90s, and since its debut, I can still watch it time and time again. THAT'S the testament of a truly great film. Read more

Published on Dec 1 2003 by Greekfreak

5.0 out of 5 stars No no no no no no...
This movie is not just about the whole idea of the 'alpha male' that Chad emulates or misogyny. It is not a representation of the cutthroatness of the workplace. Read more

Published on Nov 19 2003 by the snake

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for everyone...
There's a reason that "In the Company of Men", a low budget independent film, the first from writer-director Neil Labute, won an award at the Sundance Film Festival... Read more

Published on Mar 25 2003 by L. Quido

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Reality that Corporate America Denies or Covers Up
Whew,

When the director set out to make this film, he did not intend to make the kind of "feel good" movie where the bad guy(s) get what's coming to them and the heroes live... Read more

Published on Mar 10 2003 by Steven J. Jungman

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best ever
Never seen the movie when it was originally released and didn't know much about it. Strolling through the local rental video store shelves, I stumbled onto this priceless gem of... Read more

Published on Nov 28 2002

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