DVD Review: In the Company of Men

[KOTLP]

In the Company of Men (Neil LaBute, 1997)


Aaron Eckhart and Matt Malloy play Chad and Howard, two "friends" and businessmen. Howard is in charge of a new project requiring both to relocate for six weeks. Although he is officially Chad's boss for the project, he is vulnerable and Chad is clearly the leader of the two.

On the trip, Howard and Chad ironically discuss young vultures trying to take over their jobs, and evil girlfriends. Howard was just dumped and feels outraged that a woman could reject him, the first indication of a deep rooted misogynism in both men. Chad comforts him with his own story of a four year girlfriend disappearing one day. Chad wants to hurt a woman, and eventually persuades Howard to join him in a game where both men falsely pursue a vulnerable girl. By the end she will want to down a bottle of sleeping pills, Chad says.

Chad soon finds the perfect target: a deaf, innocent, trusting typist played by Stacy Edwards. They mock the way Christine talks "like a dolphin", but fall for her as the game progresses.

It's difficult to watch a film where the only character you don't loathe is brutally hurt. But this is a great film meant to evoke strong emotion. It is also an attack on selfishness and power, both in relationships and the corporate world, the latter most obviously exemplified in a highly disturbing scene where Chad humiliates a black subordinate. There is a surprise ending and the final two scenes achieve the seemingly impossible - they make you hate both men even more.

The film is often labeled a black comedy, but probably better fits the drama section IMO. While I did find a few moments funny, such as Chad stealing change from Howard, and Howard initially asking the wrong girl out, some may find little to no humor.

Aaron Eckhart is a talented actor, and also great in the fun satire Thank you for Smoking. Here, he perfectly captures cold, cannibalistic, evil. In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis uses a corporation as an analogy for hell, preferring bats to bureaucrats. Lewis views the most evil of men as those becoming more selfish with each year. They isolate themselves by moving their homes further from the rest of the world. Chad is so far removed from anyone but himself that it's hard to imagine he will ever find his way back.

Overall, I highly recommended this indie film, though it's not for everyone.

[KOTLP]

One oops, too late to edit but Christine, the deaf woman, is played by Stacy Edwards. Emily Cline plays Chad's girlfriend.