The Review at a Glance: ( max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
86
Studio and Year: Anchor Bay Entertainment - 2010
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 105 minutes
Genre: Drama
Disc Format: BD-25
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Starring: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson
Directed by: John Wells
Music by: Aaron Zigman
Written by: John Wells
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 7, 2011
"In America, We Give Our Lives To Our Jobs. It's Time To Take Them Back"
Film Synopsis:
The Company Men is a remarkably relevant and uplifting motion picture experience inspired by today’s headlines. Featuring a powerhouse cast including Academy Award® winners Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner. Bobby Walker (Affleck) is living the American Dream, until he is stunned to find himself the latest casualty of corporate downsizing. Suddenly, Bobby is forced to re-evaluate his self-worth as a husband, a father and a man. For as long as he can remember, he’s given his life to his job. Now, with only the love of his wife and family, it’s time to take his life back...
My Take:
So you haven't heard of 'The Company Men'... but by the above synopsis might deduct that the writer was trying to cash in on the state of the economy and rash of layoffs. This is true yet false, as multi-Emmy winning writer/director John Wells (ER, The West Wing) started this idea back in the the early 2000s when the Dot Com bubble burst, so it was that crisis that stemmed the idea, this new one just gave him more incentive to finish.
On paper 'The Company Men' looked like a great investment. But just like in the film, business is business and this star studded cast should not take it personal that it opened on just over 100 screens to little, if no fanfare. If I had a cast like this (Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson), I sure would try to make back my 15 million big-ones, and try to squeeze a big weekend out of it, even if I wasn't fully secure with the final product.
Was it a mistake to not give this film a wider release?? Yes. Even thought there are a few unrealistic aspects to add drama, the films message and performances do push it up from a decent flick to a good movie. The film deals with corporate downsizing and its effects on the employees lives and household after the fact. We follow Ben Affleck as Bobby Walker, a status seeking show-off who cares more about his Porsche and golf game than his home life. When he gets the pink slip he tries to keep up appearances, blowing through any savings and severance in a matter of months. His wife takes some control, giving him the much needed reality check needed to realize what he has and what really is important in life.
The cast of Nelson as the CEO of GTX, the company that is creating all the lay-offs to please the share holders, Tommy Lee Jones as his best friend and co-worker, who cares more about him 'team' the bottom line, and the always great Chris Cooper, another employee who gets laid off, really are the glue that holds the film together. The emotions are real, the story one that can hit home easily and the film itself is well placed and directed. I Recommend giving 'The Company Men' a viewing, even if it throws a bit too much Hollywood optimism to a situation we are still in, with no immediate end in sight...
Parental Guide:
Rated R for language, some sexuality/nudity, violence and brief drug use.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 80
Video: 94
'The Company Men' are hired. Attention to detail is a commodity and this is 'The Company Men's best asset. From fabric, walls, facial features...every person, place and thing are strongly defined. Colors and fleshtones look right on, never too hot or cold, and black levels are deep with nice definition. This is an impressive filmic Blu-ray with a nice level of depth and a healthy little grain showing its roots. Audio-wise, this DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround Sound is a nice companion but not reference quality like the video portion. Dialogue, which is the films main focus, comes across clear and positioned correctly in the sound-stage. Music did widen the stereo field, but at times, had a boxy sound. Besides that qualm, this track did its job, having a natural ambiance in the effect channels, and the LFE sounded decent and tight with the musical passages.
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
'The Company Men' was better then I anticipated, considering its limited release and silent marketing campaign. A few parts of the story felt a bit forced for the sake of drama, but that being said, it was still enjoyable, with great performances that accentuated this real look into the economical and social climate of the 'workers' in corporate America. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray is a highly defined, yet filmic looking transfer that is as good a it gets. unfortunately extras are all in 480p, and the commentary was rather dull, being just the writer/director. I recommend a rental before a blind buy, but recommended none the less.
Lee Weber
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-X3 3D 1080p 3D High Definition Front Projector
Screen Innovations Solar HD 1.3 120" 2.40:1 CinemaScope Screen
Marantz AV7005 Pre/Pro
Sunfire Cinema Grand Five 200 Amplifier
Sony PS3 Slim Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sunfire Cinema Ribbon Trio On-Wall (5.1)
Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ Solitaire 10"
The Review at a Glance: ( max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
86
Studio and Year: Anchor Bay Entertainment - 2010
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 105 minutes
Genre: Drama
Disc Format: BD-25
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Starring: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson
Directed by: John Wells
Music by: Aaron Zigman
Written by: John Wells
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 7, 2011
"In America, We Give Our Lives To Our Jobs. It's Time To Take Them Back"
Film Synopsis:
The Company Men is a remarkably relevant and uplifting motion picture experience inspired by today’s headlines. Featuring a powerhouse cast including Academy Award® winners Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner. Bobby Walker (Affleck) is living the American Dream, until he is stunned to find himself the latest casualty of corporate downsizing. Suddenly, Bobby is forced to re-evaluate his self-worth as a husband, a father and a man. For as long as he can remember, he’s given his life to his job. Now, with only the love of his wife and family, it’s time to take his life back...
My Take:
So you haven't heard of 'The Company Men'... but by the above synopsis might deduct that the writer was trying to cash in on the state of the economy and rash of layoffs. This is true yet false, as multi-Emmy winning writer/director John Wells (ER, The West Wing) started this idea back in the the early 2000s when the Dot Com bubble burst, so it was that crisis that stemmed the idea, this new one just gave him more incentive to finish.
On paper 'The Company Men' looked like a great investment. But just like in the film, business is business and this star studded cast should not take it personal that it opened on just over 100 screens to little, if no fanfare. If I had a cast like this (Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson), I sure would try to make back my 15 million big-ones, and try to squeeze a big weekend out of it, even if I wasn't fully secure with the final product.
Was it a mistake to not give this film a wider release?? Yes. Even thought there are a few unrealistic aspects to add drama, the films message and performances do push it up from a decent flick to a good movie. The film deals with corporate downsizing and its effects on the employees lives and household after the fact. We follow Ben Affleck as Bobby Walker, a status seeking show-off who cares more about his Porsche and golf game than his home life. When he gets the pink slip he tries to keep up appearances, blowing through any savings and severance in a matter of months. His wife takes some control, giving him the much needed reality check needed to realize what he has and what really is important in life.
The cast of Nelson as the CEO of GTX, the company that is creating all the lay-offs to please the share holders, Tommy Lee Jones as his best friend and co-worker, who cares more about him 'team' the bottom line, and the always great Chris Cooper, another employee who gets laid off, really are the glue that holds the film together. The emotions are real, the story one that can hit home easily and the film itself is well placed and directed. I Recommend giving 'The Company Men' a viewing, even if it throws a bit too much Hollywood optimism to a situation we are still in, with no immediate end in sight...
Parental Guide:
Rated R for language, some sexuality/nudity, violence and brief drug use.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 80
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 94
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
'The Company Men' are hired. Attention to detail is a commodity and this is 'The Company Men's best asset. From fabric, walls, facial features...every person, place and thing are strongly defined. Colors and fleshtones look right on, never too hot or cold, and black levels are deep with nice definition. This is an impressive filmic Blu-ray with a nice level of depth and a healthy little grain showing its roots. Audio-wise, this DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround Sound is a nice companion but not reference quality like the video portion. Dialogue, which is the films main focus, comes across clear and positioned correctly in the sound-stage. Music did widen the stereo field, but at times, had a boxy sound. Besides that qualm, this track did its job, having a natural ambiance in the effect channels, and the LFE sounded decent and tight with the musical passages.
Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary With Writer And Director John Wells
- Alternate Ending
- The Making of The Company Men
- Deleted Scenes
Final Thoughts:
'The Company Men' was better then I anticipated, considering its limited release and silent marketing campaign. A few parts of the story felt a bit forced for the sake of drama, but that being said, it was still enjoyable, with great performances that accentuated this real look into the economical and social climate of the 'workers' in corporate America. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray is a highly defined, yet filmic looking transfer that is as good a it gets. unfortunately extras are all in 480p, and the commentary was rather dull, being just the writer/director. I recommend a rental before a blind buy, but recommended none the less.
Lee Weber
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-X3 3D 1080p 3D High Definition Front Projector
Screen Innovations Solar HD 1.3 120" 2.40:1 CinemaScope Screen
Marantz AV7005 Pre/Pro
Sunfire Cinema Grand Five 200 Amplifier
Sony PS3 Slim Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sunfire Cinema Ribbon Trio On-Wall (5.1)
Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ Solitaire 10"