The Company: Amazon.ca: Neve Campbell, James Franco, Malcolm McDowell, Barbara E. Robertson, William Dick, Susie Cusack, Marilyn Dodds Frank, John Lordan, Mariann Mayberry, Roderick Peeples, Yasen Peyankov, Davis C. Robertson, Robert Altman, Christine Vachon, David Levy, David Ley, Dieter Meyer, Hannah Leader, Barbara Turner: DVD

Actors: Neve Campbell, James Franco, Malcolm McDowell, Barbara E. Robertson, William Dick
Directors: Robert Altman
Writers: Neve Campbell, Barbara Turner
Producers: Christine Vachon, David Levy, David Ley, Dieter Meyer, Hannah Leader
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: French
Region: (US and Canada This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number of discs: 1
MPAA Rating:
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: Jun 1 2004
Run Time: 112 minutes

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)

ASIN: B0001XAOPM
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #21,335 in DVD (See Top 100 in DVD)
- #20 in DVD > Art House & International > By Country > Germany > Drama

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Customer Reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

A Tour de Force Of A FIlm! July 19 2004

By Jana L. Perskie

Format:DVD

I love ballet! I love good dance in general. So watching Robert Altman's "The Company" was 112 minutes of pure bliss. Altman takes us onstage, and off-stage, for a look at the world of dance, dancers, choreographers, set and costume designers and a ballet director, Alberto Antonelli, played wonderfully well by Malcolm McDowell. Actress Neve Campbell, best known for her roles in horror flicks, was trained for years in classical ballet. She is absolutely beautiful, and an extraordinarily lithe, exciting dancer. (No more scary movies Neve!!). It is obvious that she has put a lot of herself into this film. Not only does she play a major role, but she co-wrote and co-produced the movie. She did all of her own dancing, and seems to fit right in with the professional dancers from the Joffrey Ballet Troupe of Chicago, which is featured here.

The film is loosely structured and documentary-like. The viewer gets a a fly on the wall look at a dancer's life as Altman takes us behind the scenes, up close and personal. We watch both the professional and personal - from the grueling physical toll of constant practice to brilliant performances. The dancers' effort to perfect their mastery of dance is totally honest, and this artistic honesty really makes the film as special as a live performance. There are some spectacular dance performances throughout, with splendid colors, electric energy, creative costumes, and wonderful footwork which showcase the Joffrey Ballet Company. There's an opening modern piece where dancers leap across the stage with streamers, that is just fabulous. In another sequence a ballerina dances on and around a swing. Altman's camera emphasizes her grace and elegance, and this is one of the movie's high points for me. Neve Cambell also dances a marvelous pas de deux onstage, during an outdoor concert performance, in the rain. The effects are incredible. The music is "My Funny Valentine." The last number, the piece de resistance, is more garish than grande, unfortunately. The costumes and choreography look as if they had been designed for Sesame Street. I still enjoyed it, however. Just wanted to be fair and balanced here.

Ballet director Antonelli, (McDowell), is a temperamental tyrant who meddles in every aspect of the ballet. But he is also charismatic, funny, and acknowledged as the troupe's backbone. Neve Campbell plays Ry, a member of the ensemble who is increasingly given important roles, as her talent merits. Her love interest, (James Franco), is a hunk! The chemistry between them is dynamite! We are also shown the tempermental behavior, tantrums, stress and strife that go on backstage.

There's no major story here, just enough to entice. The main attraction is fantastic dance. Highly recommended for aficionados and beginners alike.
JANA

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

A wonderful behind the scenes look at artistic production July 13 2004

By Robert Blumenthal

First of all, let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am not a big fan of dance in general and ballet particularly. Next, there is essentially no story in this movie--it's more of a documentary style look at how dance productions are put together. With all that, I loved this movie. I was totally swept up with the dance numbers which are extremely creative and haunting and fun to watch. In addition, Malcolm MacDowell is wonderful as that crusty genius who runs the show. He is absolutely convincing. I was fascinated watching the performances rehearsed and how they went from choosing the dancers to the final spectacle on the stage. If you appreciate art at all and are fascinated at what it takes to expose yourself as an artist on the stage, I highly, highly recommend this film. Robert Altman continues to amaze. Bravo!

Enjoyable Altman Slice of Life July 6 2004

By K. Schwarting

First of all, this is not a plotted movie about the life of a dancer, although it pivots around a central character named Ry (Neve Campbell), a rising dancer with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. Rather, what Altman attempts to do is to convey a dancer's milieu--the physical pressures, the competitiveness, and the sheer joy of dancing. The dancing sequences are spectacular--Altman appreciates and savors each of them, without doing any heavily MTV-esque editing.

If you like Robert Altman, odds are good you will enjoy this film, although it is lighter on character development than much of his other work. If you are a serious fan of dance, you will enjoy this film for the attention it pays to the beauty of the art form. If you want a plot, particularly a standard love affair between Ry and her chef beau (James Franco), look elsewhere.