Customer Reviews

The Company [VHS]

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Directed by Robert Altman, this film is about a year in the life of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, which is the true star of the film. It also stars Neve Campbell, who wrote and produced it as well, and it was surely an act of love on her part. Even though she was originally trained as a dancer, she still had to train for three months, seven hours a day before even beginning to train with the company, which took another few months before shooting began. She is a wonderful dancer and The Company brings this all out.

This is not a film about one person though. And it is not a film with lots of interlocking stories. Basically, it is a film about the creative process itself, and how an idea gets turned into an elaborate work of art. It's hard to get the feel of this onto the screen. But Mr. Altman is a master in making sure it all come together.

It takes more than hard work to be a member of the company. It takes talent, dedication and pain and there are a few shots of the dancers' feet that made my own corns and calluses seem like nothing. Malcolm McDowell is cast as the artistic director and he is terrific. He's eccentric and moody and wonderfully creative as he has an intuitive understanding of how a new ballet will all come together in performance. Most of the dancing shows the new and experimental although there is no doubt that the company is classically trained.

There are a few small stories, but all of them just add to understanding of the company as a whole. For example, there is a romance between Neve Campbell and James Franco, cast as a young chef. This story is basically used to underscore the demanding life of the ballerina, which forces her to also work as a waitress in order to support herself. Then there is a poignant scene where a dancer snaps an Achilles tendon during rehearsal. Everyone knows that this means she will never dance again. But the show must go on. During the Grande Finale performance itself, one of the dancers is injured and another dancer takes her place in such a way that the performance seems seamless.

All the dancing bore the touch of Robert Desrosiers and Lar Lubovitich, two master choreographers who also had roles in the film. I must also give a standing ovation to the cinematographers who shot this film with multiple cameras and high definition video. I know I love watching dancers on the stage. But the kind of angles and close-ups that are possible in film transform the experience of watching dance into an almost participatory experience.

There are good extras on the DVD, including interviews and some extended dance performances. I just couldn't stop watching and absorbing all the backstage lore.

This is a wonderful film and I give it one of my highest recommendations - especially for dance fans everywhere.

I love ballet! I love good dance in general. So watching Robert Altman's "The Company" was 112 minutes of pure bliss. Altman takes us onstage, and off-stage, for a look at the world of dance, dancers, choreographers, set and costume designers and a ballet director, Alberto Antonelli, played wonderfully well by Malcolm McDowell. Actress Neve Campbell, best known for her roles in horror flicks, was trained for years in classical ballet. She is absolutely beautiful, and an extraordinarily lithe, exciting dancer. (No more scary movies Neve!!). It is obvious that she has put a lot of herself into this film. Not only does she play a major role, but she co-wrote and co-produced the movie. She did all of her own dancing, and seems to fit right in with the professional dancers from the Joffrey Ballet Troupe of Chicago, which is featured here.

The film is loosely structured and documentary-like. The viewer gets a fly on the wall look at a dancer's life as Altman takes us behind the scenes, up close and personal. We watch both the professional and personal - from the grueling physical toll of constant practice to brilliant performances. The dancers' effort to perfect their mastery of dance is totally honest, and this artistic honesty really makes the film as special as a live performance. There are some spectacular dance performances throughout, with splendid colors, electric energy, creative costumes, and wonderful footwork which showcase the Joffrey Ballet Company. There's an opening modern piece where dancers leap across the stage with streamers, that is just fabulous. In another sequence a ballerina dances on and around a swing. Altman's camera emphasizes her grace and elegance, and this is one of the movie's high points for me. Neve Cambell also dances a marvelous pas de deux onstage, during an outdoor concert performance, in the rain. The effects are incredible. The music is "My Funny Valentine." The last number, the piece de resistance, is more garish than grande, unfortunately. The costumes and choreography look as if they had been designed for Sesame Street. I still enjoyed it, however. Just wanted to be fair and balanced here.

Ballet director Antonelli, (McDowell), is a temperamental tyrant who meddles in every aspect of the ballet. But he is also charismatic, funny, and acknowledged as the troupe's backbone. Neve Campbell plays Ry, a member of the ensemble who is increasingly given important roles, as her talent merits. Her love interest, (James Franco), is a hunk! The chemistry between them is dynamite! We are also shown the tempermental behavior, tantrums, stress and strife that go on backstage.

There's no major story here, just enough to entice. The main attraction is fantastic dance. Highly recommended for aficionados and beginners alike.
JANA

THE COMPANY is not of Robert Altman's best films. Like so much of his work, (THE PLAYER, MASH) it takes place inside a particular subculture with its own set of rules. In this case it's the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. THE COMPANY is the story of a season in the life of a ballet company, from the opening night parties to behind the scenes squabbling.
Ry (the beautiful Neve Campbell) is a second tier dancer who gets a chance to star when another dancer is injured. She becomes a favorite of the company director (Malcolm McDowell) and dances in a number of other roles. Along the way she falls in love with a handsome chef (James Franco).
That's about as much story as there is, although there are a number of other plotlines involving the other dancers (all of whom play themselves) that are started and then dropped. What THE COMPANY is really about is what goes on behind the scenes in the dancers lives. Bad relationships, injuries, personality conflicts, issues with the director (McDowell preens brilliantly and provides all the film's humor) , etc. There are also ballets, presented both in performance and in rehearsal, and THE COMPANY is also a celebration of the art and athleticism of these dancers.
Don't go see THE COMPANY expecting a happy ending, or any ending. Robert Altman, as always, is interested in the weird interactions of human behavior. THE COMPANY is a unique and worthy film. Recommended.

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!

As a former dancer and one who participated in many performances, I have to admit this movie was like a living memory for me. I think, for a person to truly enjoy and appreciate this movie, they have to have either been involved in the performing arts at one point in their life, or have a deep appreciation for what the performing arts really are.

The manner in which this movie was filmed, makes one feel as though they are a member of the Joffery Ballet, themselves, living the life a dancer lives. There is a fluid, active plot, that is true to life as it occurs. This movie will be lost on mainstream movie-goers who need high action, intricately over involved plot lines and theaterics. That is why we have Hollywood. This film, reminds us, why we have the arts. It is a painful, draining devotion both on the body and the emotions, but we continue to do it because we are in love with it, and are addicted to the incredible result we get.

It is the subtleties that makes this movie great. The arrogance of the ballet's director, and the veteran dancers. The flakiness and brilliance of the choreographers. The part where Neve Campbell's character goes home after her big performance in the beginning and bursts into tears while drawing a bath. The girls discussing their nausea while learning to perform the dance piece on the swing. The dancers crowding into small apartments to find a place to live. The subtlety in the different ways a dancer movies his or her hips or defies gravity in their jumps that makes them superior to other dancers in the corps..

The performances that are filmed are what make the Joffery Ballet superb. The mixture of modern dance and classical ballet. This is a fantastic film, and anyone who truly KNOWS the performing arts, will understand it as that.

When I first found myself getting seriously involved in movies for some reason or another I took Robert Altman for granted. I knew him strictly as the film-maker of "M*A*S*H" and didn't care to see anything he made. Then about 2 or 3 years ago I started watching his movies. I have always heard people say wonderful things about him and I thought it was about time I check out his films. He immediately became one of my favorite American directors. And his work since the 90's, sort of his "comback" years have greatly impressed me. "Shorts Cuts" I think is his masterpiece, he then followed that films with "Kansas City", "The Gingerbread Man", "Cookie's Fortune" and his previous film "Gosford Park", which made us all think of Jean Renoir's "Rules of the Game". All of this makes it seem somewhat odd then that he would follow the critical successful "Gosford Park", which he was nominated for an Oscar, with a movie about ballet, but, I guess that just goes to show you what kind of versital talent Altman really is.

As I walked into "The Company" I thought I would enjoy it because Altman was directing, but I didn't know I'd come out enjoying it as much as I do. With this film Altman fully displays his talents for detail, every one of his movies has a spontaneous feel to it. Sometimes we think we are seeing things we shouldn't be. As if it's the rehearsal, his movies have a very breezy attitude. "The Company" and I know how shocking it may seem, is actually one of his best films. There are moments when watching this movie I had to remind myself it's a movie and not a documentary. Altman's style of filmmaking is perfect for this movie. He captures moments that seem so real. We honestly forget we are watching actors.

A lot of people it seems have been staying away from this movie. It has been doing very poorly at the box-office, sadly a good number of Altman's films were not commercially successful. But I'm afraid those who do go see it may not like it because they will say it has no story. It's just about dancing. Well, first of all lets remember the name of the movie, "The Company", secondly no one has been hiding the fact this movie is about ballet, so yes, a great deal of the movie is featuring dance scenes. There is a very light plot. And if I were to judge the movie on plot than I guess it would be disappointing, but you can't watch this movie and expect a heavy plot. In fact the plot is so fragile I wouldn't know how to describe it.

We have a young woman named Ry (Neve Campbell, who also produced the movie and help with its story) who is a young talented dancer awaiting the day she can be the star of her own company. She starts a relationship with Josh (James Franco) after a bad breakup with her ex, who just happens to be a dancer who works for the same company. Then there is Mr. A (Malcolm McDowell) who is head of the company. He is having fincial trouble putting on a new show called the "Blue Snake". And there isn't much more to tell.

Altman was robbed of an Oscar a few years back with "Gosford Park", but, someone could argue, at least they nominated him. Well, sadly Altman's great work here will go unnoticed, and it's not fair. "The Company" is one of the better films released in 2003.

There is one scene I want to point out to people. There is scene were Ry and her partner or dancing, but a storm breaks out. In this moment are minds are already going to work because we think the rain will go on the stage and she'll slip and injure herself. Altman is creating such tension that movies like "Phone Booth" and "Jeepers Creepers 2" didn't make me feel. Now, I'm not going to tell you if she does injure herself or not, you'll just hae to go see the movie.

Bottom-line: One of Robert Altman's best films. His directing style makes a perfect blend for the film's tone. Has a spontaneous feel to it that makes us forget it's only a movie.

When you consider the shoot 'em up trash that seems to dominate the box office, it is sad to reflect on the relatively poor financial performance of this beautifully crafted movie.

This is Neve Campbell's finest hour and as Malcolm McDowell said in one of the many superb interviews, if you can get Robert Altman on board, you have to be taken seriously. Likewise, to get a master such as McDowell, you have to have a very credible idea and a great deal of talent and passion. Neve has it all.

While the film is a virtual documentary snapshot of a period in the Joffrey's life, it is very coherent and organic, and avoids the pitfalls of some of the more pretentious, non-linear Art movies. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. Not everybody is a Cocteau or a Warhol.

I liked the fact that the story is relatively non-hierarchical, and that Neve wasn't up on a pedestal. This works beautifully because it captures the cameraderie that exists in all good ballet/theater companies.

I would like to have seen a little more of Malcolm McDowell's character, as he is a joy to behold in the way he fully becomes the character, as all good actors do, Neve included. The soundtrack is as exquisite as the many brilliant dance sequences, and the Special Features are wonderful.

Very highly recommended.

I'm looking forward to the release of this DVD. Not a dancer myself, I enjoy the vicarious pleasure of "behind-the-scenes" movies, and Altman's directorial technique and the general plotlessness gave The Company an immersive, true-to-life feel. The dancing, by the Joffrey Ballet which is more avant-garde and less traditional than other companies, was far superior to that in other movies, where it can feel dumbed down for the average viewer. This went well beyond my understanding into "holy cow, how did they just do that?!"

In "The Company", Robert Altman applies his pseudo-documentary directing style to The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. In a style that reminds me very much of Altman's acclaimed 1975 film "Nashville", "The Company" gives us an intimate view of a year in the life of The Joffrey Ballet. Screenwriter Barbara Turner spent a few years getting to know the Joffrey's dancers and recording their stories, which she then transformed into a screenplay for "The Company". Actress Neve Campbell, who was a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada before going to Hollywood, co-produces, acts and dances in the film. "The Company" has an ensemble cast, with a subtle concentration on the life of Neve Campbell's character, Ry. Six days a week of training and rehearsals leaves Ry little time for a personal life, but she struggles to make time for her boyfriend (James Franco) and a second job at a Goth bar while she eats, sleeps, and breathes dance. Malcolm McDowell plays the company's artistic director, Alberto Antonelli, a role inspired by the Joffrey's real Artistic Director, Gerald Arpino. The dancers are all played, quite convincingly, by The Joffrey Ballet's dancers.

I really enjoyed "The Company", but you probably either have to really like Robert Altman's work or really like dance to like this film. To say the story arch is unpronounced would be an understatement. The story is the dedication and talent of these dancers. Nothing unusual happens. We simply observe them. I gather that that's the point. The dancers' performances and commitment are extraordinary. Emotions are high; good and bad things happen; but that's ordinary in the life of a professional ballet dancer. "The Company" 's pace is thoroughly even, and its tone is subdued. I thought at first that watching this film was going to require patience, as so many of Altman's film's do. But I was quickly sucked in by the opportunity to see inside the ballet subculture, along with some incredible dancing.

There is a lot of footage of The Joffrey Ballet's performances. All of them are modern, not classical. And we can see even more of the dancers in their movie roles, to which they take quite naturally. Neve Campbell trained for months and became a temporary member of The Joffrey to make this film. She appears in eight dances in the film, although you may not be able to pick her out in all of them. "The Company" is her tribute to the world of dance that she loves, and it turns out to be a perfect subject for Robert Altman's signature directing style. If Altman's signature style makes you groan, you may still like "The Company", as it's broken up with fantastic performances by The Joffrey Ballet.

The DVD: Bonus features include an audio commentary by director Robert Altman and Neve Campbell, a making-of featurette, "The Passion of Dance" featurette, an "Extended Dance Sequence", and the ability to play all of the dance sequences from the film. The audio commentary is really pretty interesting. I found myself listening to more of it than I had intended. Robert Altman and Neve Campbell discuss the film's genesis, its style, their experiences filming and interacting with The Joffrey. It includes a lot of information about the dancing in the film and more insight into the Joffrey and the world of ballet. The "Making of Featurette" is a 7-minute documentary that features interviews with Altman, Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, and James Franco. In "The Passion of Dance" (4 minutes), Neve Campbell talks about the demanding world of professional ballet and her desire to make a film about it. The "Extended Dance Sequence" is a 2-minute dance sequence that takes place in the film's dance studio. It's not very interesting. I recommend the audio commentary, even if you don't have time to listen to the whole thing.

This movie is not a documentary, neither does it have a story / narrative driving events. It is an undisputably Altman-esque view of life in a successful ballet company, in this case the Joffrey Ballet Company.
This means that events simply unfold in a matter of fact and realistic way, with characters stumbling over phrases and talking over each other in a way that gradually convinces you this is a peek into real life rather than a `movie'. If ballet, in particular modern ballet, fascinates you, and you like Altman's style of direction, then this is the movie for you.
Having said that, if ballet does NOT fascinate, you may well be left cold by a movie which has no story to tell, but rather purports to show real life instead.
The performances are fantastic, as you would expect from Robert Altman. Malcolm McDowell is a treat as the ballet director.. a role that Roger Ebert astutely observed is very like Altman himself, overseeing the creative process with one eye always on the budget, and those around him subject to his acerbic put downs, or throwaway praises. More than once he shouts out `You're a genius!' while simultaneously walking out of the room and already thinking about something or someone else. During the ballet training, you can feel the dancers groan as he interrupts shouting out `What are you doing! You made it pretty! I HATE pretty!'.
Neve Campbell was the driving force behind getting the movie made. She trained in Canada as a ballet dancer, and put in 4 months of training to get in shape for this role. It was she who persuaded Altman to make the movie, after his initial disinterest. This makes it all the more remarkable how un star-like a vehicle this is for her. Her character is just one character within the company and never overshadows the pace and style of the movie.
What we get then, is snippets of real lives and loves of all the players of a ballet company, interspersed with occasionally lengthy scenes of the ballets themselves. The performances certainly are convincing, but the end result is an oddly dispassionate but intimate view into the world of ballet.
This is not Altman at his best. I find he works best when there IS a plot and story, which distracts you from the fact that the movie is really about the people not the story. Such was the case in his previous movie, Gosford Park. Here, what you see is what you get and there are no layers to unwrap. Therefore, whether you enjoy the movie or not will depend greatly on your interest in the creative process on display, and in modern ballet itself.