In The Company Of Men

The main problem with playwright-turned-film director Neil LaBute’s debut film is that whilst its script might work in the abstracted setting of a theatre stage it doesn’t in the naturalistic environment of cinema.  The result is a lop-sided affair, but one which despite its shortcomings does manage to pay off on its opening gambit.

That gambit is a nasty game set up by a couple of corporate types, Chad (Aaron Eckhart) and Howard (Matt Malloy) former college buddies who have been sent to work for six weeks on some unspecified job in some unspecified town.  Both smarting from recent bad experiences with women, Chad suggests to Howard that they find some vulnerable girl, both romance her and dump her, thereby getting their revenge on the female of the species. They find an attractive, deaf typist (Stacy Edwards) and set about their dastardly amusement.

Given the real world setting there are a few problems with this provocative scenario. The ease with which the men find their victim and her willing compliance are relatively minor reservations. The real hurdle is in accepting the depth of Chad’s misogyny and even more so in believing that the decent Howard would agree to such a plan (these guys are in their 30s).  These contrivances may be fine in a stage setting but come across as too strident in the case of Chad, too unconvincing in the case of Matt whilst the ease with which the seduction takes place is underwhelming not in any way mitigated by the dialogue which, once again, might be fine on the stage, but to which LaBute fails to give any filmic resonance.

Of course we know there has to be some kind of twist to the tale and fortunately the film does deliver in this respect, its ending driving home the exposé of male aggression and corporate culture which is its core mission. 

Aaron Eckhart in his first major screen role gives a marvellous performance as the thoroughly contemptible Chad while Matt Malloy is effective as the emotionally vulnerable Howard and Stacy Edwards convincing as their pawn.

 

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