Two years after America's economic crisis began dispatching millions to the unemployment lines, Hollywood pretends to examine the fallout.
Here, next-to-the-top corporate feeders like Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck), Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones), and Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) get thrown into the cold by the manufacturing conglomerate ("GTX") for which they work.
Family-man Bobby (Affleck) spends cloudy days driving his Porsche to a job placement facility where he and other corporate causalities send out resumes and make phone calls to the deaf ears of "prospective" employers.
Tommy Lee Jones chews the film's choicest role as luxury-loving Gene, a company co-founder squeezed out by his greedy boss (Craig T. Nelson). Though oddly ignored by the screenwriters, Chris Cooper's Phil Woodward serves as the most interesting character. Tough talking Phil tells his friend, "I won't let the bastards just kick me out after 30 years. I'll take an AK-47 to this fucking place first."
Phil represents the desperation felt across the country by the one out of five workers who have lost their jobs. Phil is obviously meant to carry the film's theme, yet vanishes in a rushed plot point.
"The Company Men" is a somber, glossy, and sound-bite-heavy drama made watchable by its ensemble performances. The story is a letdown, but the actors — including an especially sassy Maria Bello — are enjoyable to watch.
Rated R. 109 mins.
