The Company
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Movie Reviews of The Company
Movie Review: Better than some reviews would have you believe
Summary: 4 Stars
Like The Human Stain, this film has been criticized by some reviewers, as being plotless and as being one of Robert Altman's 'duds'. Two local video stores I frequent have only one copy each. I found it entertaining; it is designed to take you backstage and show you the practice, work, and experience that goes into a ballet production. It is somewhat impressionistic and indeed somewhat plotless, though Neve Campbell does have a boyfriend and a mother who appear onscreen. Mr.Antonelli with his everpresent yellow scarf is an effective though somewhat imperious manager who motivates the company by constantly criticizing what he calls phony or pretty ballet, occasionally going over the edge with some dancers.
The problem is, as an audience member I find ballet above all extraordinarily graceful. But the director must motivate his troops, and the point he makes is probably valid. Antonelli at one point wins an award from the Italian-American Heritage Society. I found it enjoyable to be caught up in the everyday lives of the dancers including a Christmas party and the practice routines and finished stage products which are on display often in the film, including 'The Blue Snake' at the end. One of these is Neve Campbell's sultry one-on-one dance with a male dancer outdoors in the rain.
Movie Review: Ordinary folks do exquisite things !
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie is about ballet and its dancers. It does not really have any plot. To my mind, it carries a deeper message. People who do exquisite things are just like us, ordinary folks! The dancers are divine when performing, but live ordinary `high heeled, bar tender' lives off stage, to make a living. There are no crazy creative eccentrics in this world.
The performances are excellent and have been filmed well. Director Robert Altman has done a fine job. And, the movie is packed with performances. The sound of the footsteps during the performances makes the viewer feel that this is for real. It was inspiring to see how much the body is malleable, and remains beautifully sculpted, even for ballet dancers who are in their 40's.
The movie grips you from the very start, and the juxtaposition of the backstage with the live performances has been done without jarring the smooth flow of the narrative about this world of ballet and its performers.
However, I personally found the grand finale somewhat of a disappointment, in as much as it didn't look like classical ballet to me.
Movie Review: Enjoyable Altman Slice of Life
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Very Interesting and enlightening movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This moive watches like a "day in the life" kind of movie. I date a former international ballerina, and I am very interested in her experiences in ballet. Although she thought the movie was just decent, she did say that it sheds some light into the everyday lives of ballerinas including injuries, not having money, wierd directors, etc. I felt this movie allowed me to get a better view of what is like to be a ballet dancer. Plus, you've got to love Malcolm McDowell!Movie Review: classic Altman
Summary: 4 Stars
Seen Nashville? The Company is like that, with ballet substituted for country music. It's ponderous. It picks up at no particular point and ends without any conclusion. Those aren't complaints - it's a beautiful movie, the ballet is gorgeous. But it's slow, and there's no plot to speak of, and it asks more questions than it answers. I'd watch it again.