The Company Men
Genre: Drama
Director: John Wells
Stars: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper
888
The Company Men marks writer/director John Wells’ transition into film following a successful career in television (ER, The West Wing).
His debut is about a group of emasculated men suddenly downsized from cushy jobs.
Wells carefully interweaves characters from all levels of the issue, from Tommy Lee Jones’ high ranking executive struggling with his conscience to Ben Affleck’s young buck who loses his BMW and private office to hang drywall and move back in with his parents.
Wells captures pain of unemployed limbo well and many will sadly identify with the material. His script might wrap things up a little too cleanly for such a painful story, but since the subject matter will cut close to the bone for many viewers, forcing a little optimism is forgivable.
