Head-on tackle
The Age
Thursday March 10, 2011
THE COMPANY MEN (M) Rating: 2.5/5 Selected cinemas (109 minutes) IT'S BEEN two years since the onset of the global financial crisis, but so far few American films have been willing to tackle the subject head-on.An exception is this dour drama from the TV writer John Wells. Ben Affleck plays Bobby Walker, a sales manager at a Boston transportation company who is fired during the downturn. Bobby struggles to find a new job at least one he deems worthy of his talent and experience.Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) is the second-in-command at Bobby's former company, who grows increasingly unhappy with his role in the downsizing process.It's satisfying to see the smarmy Bobby get his comeuppance, but there's little social insight beyond a lament for the good old days. Cinematographer Roger Deakins provides striking images of abandoned factories.
© 2011 The Age