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| Special Features: |
Audio Commentary by director Neil LaBute and the cast
Trailers
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| Video Format: |
Widescreen (1.85:1)
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| Languages: |
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
English (2.0 Surround)
Commentary (2.0 Surround)
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| Captions: |
English, Spanish, French
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| Casing: |
1-Disc Keep Case
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Chad (Aaron Eckhart) and Howard (Matt Malloy), two junior execs on a six week business trip to California,
have recently been stung by women. Discussing their woes over dinner and beer, they devise a vicious plan
to get even with all the women who have hurt them in their lives. Their pact: Find a vulnerable woman,
romance her until she falls in love...with the both of them, and then drop her hard once their six weeks
in California expire. The idea is that no matter what women do to them in the future, they can always
look back at how horribly they've hurt this unsuspecting woman, and always feel comforted at the fact
that women could never hurt them as much as they've hurt this woman. Even more disturbing is the fact
that the woman they wind up doing this to is a young, intelligent, beautiful woman who works in their
California office, who also happens to be deaf.
Winner of the Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival for director Neil LaBute's dark comedy,
In The Company of Men is one of the most discomforting and disturbing looks at the male psyche I’ve ever
seen. Aaron Eckhart’s Chad is so brilliantly nasty that even when he makes you laugh, you feel horrible
about yourself:
Chad to Howard:
"Never trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die."
The acting is stunning, and the film left me floored for several days. The final scene is what makes it a classic; gut-wrenching and desperate, it’s a dead silence that rings violently in your ears.
This film was made for just $20,000, so the fact that it even has a director and cast commentary is amazing. The commentary itself is extremely insightful, and having the actors participate in the analysis of the film and production along with LaBute gives you a fantastic perspective of the motivations behind the entire cast. One of the many interesting tidbits I found out by watching the commentary: All of the actors had to sleep over in LaBute's apartment during the shoot because there wasn't enough money to pay for hotels.
Picture Quality: 6/10
The transfer came out a little bit dark, but it actually works out great for the film. Overall, the picture quality is a little bit grainy, typically what you'd expect from a low budget independent film.
Sound Quality: 7/10
Sound plays a huge role, rare for films like this. Startling at times, it definitely sets the pace for the proceeding sequences throughout the film.
Menu: 6/10
Plain and simple, no flashiness, no surprises.
Extra Features: 7/10
While the only extra features the disc contains are trailers and the audio commentary, the commentary is as good as I've ever heard on a DVD. Definitely adds a new dimension to the film.
The Final Word:
1997's hidden gem of the Independent circuit, it didn't get the exposure it deserved because the plotline just scared too many potential distributors away. Definitely worth a gander on rental, but if you love black comedies, a definite must have.
Stephen Wong
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thousands victims left homeless with critical necessities. By making a financial gift to Hurricane 2005 Relief, the Red
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