Rating: 
Summary: Resonant tale of the '90s
Review: This is a terrific little independent film, filled with fascinating dialogue, fine acting (though a stronger actor than Matt Malloy would've helped bring "Howard" more to life), and revealing cinematography. The story goes where it needs to, without regard to Hollywood convention. No happy ending here. In the big studio version, Billy Crystal would play Chad; Tom Hanks, Howard; and Meg Ryan, Christine. Chad would get his rightful comeuppance, and Howard and Christine would joyously unite in the end.Many reviews say this movie is about corporate greed, or male competition/anger, or whatnot. Sure, it has to do with those things, but ultimately those are sideshows. What many don't realize, but what's central to this quintessential story of the 1990s is that it's really an allegory about Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich and their stormy relationship with American people. Chad, of course, is Clinton stripped down to an everyman mid-level executive; Howard is nothing more than Clinton's unwitting rival, Gingrich; and Christine, and Chad's live-in girlfriend, are nothing less than the voters, at once wooed, seduced, betrayed, and wounded by their erstwhile suitors. Howard, recently selected to head an important project just as Gingrich had recently become House Speaker, is in over his head-and heart-amid shark-infested waters. And who better to eat him alive than the honcho shark himself, Chad/Bill? Eager to please, confused about principles, lacking killer instincts, drunk on imagined power, and unable to discipline his emotions, Howard/Newt hasn't a chance against his ruthlessly conniving assassin. Meanwhile, Chad/Bill shamelessly wins over and destroys, yes, his Christine/Hillary/Gennifer/Monica/Juanita and, indeed, the entire company culture/American public, making them adore him for his alpha-male charms all the while he exploits and abuses them. Writer-director Neil LaBute has fashioned a political allegory of the highest order: One so subtle it scarcely intrudes into the intrinsic drama, yet powerful enough to define the politics of the '90s better than a whole bookshelf of political tomes. All the signs are there: It's no coincidence that the word "chad" acquired universal resonance after the 2000 Presidential election.
Rating: 
Summary: creepy
Review: I have a stalker. Who is my ex-boss He is Chad to the t.
very creepy character. I thought he was psycotic.
Rating: 
Summary: 0 Stars
Review: Mean-spirited fable concerning two guys who have just been dumped by their girlfriends. They're mad at the world, and they want "revenge" by seducing, dating, and eventually dumping a deaf co-worker. Offensive in the highest order, this movie left a bad taste in my mouth. If I want to see a couple white guys vent their anger at women and African Americans, I can stroll down to Fenway Park for that--and for free! This film was one of the most widely praised movies of 1997, making me wonder if these critics saw the same film I did. A truly evil movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Evil
Review: This movie has the feel of a kind of corporate hell. It's not just the demonic Chad and his high testosterone levels, mysogeny, and "Dangerous Liaisons" attitude toward amusement at the office. Howard, the "almost" good guy with the decency to feel guilty about his participation in Chad's scheme to break a co-worker's heart, is so pathetic in his own way that he too seems right at home in this version of hell. Visually, the office is dim, artificially lit, windowless, occasionally cave-like, contributing to the general sense of petty, officey evil. Without giving away the end, I can only say that I loved the movie for its seeming indifference, its refusal to sympathesize, and the slightly stunned, "wow" kind of feeling that it left me with. It's an exploration of human nature along the lines of De Sade, and leaves you wondering about the strong and weak, and the relative value of virtue in corporate America.
Rating: 
Summary: Read Straight Shaun's review
Review: I agree totally with straight Shaun. This movie is in no way funny. Ther are no lines nor sight gags to be seen. It is slow and often hard to understand as the sound quality is abysmal. This is as bad as it gets, and even a set up of multiple speakers did not rectify the fact that half the film is impossible to hear. Regarding the subject... well it is not flattering to males, but hardly wild stuff. I know people who behave like this, we all do. The key thing is to hope that they do not go through life punishing the present for the failures of the past. I felt sorry for the girl, but she was not strung along for particularly long, and should not fall in love at the drop of a hat. Key learning for all... be careful!
Rating:
Summary: Please don't waste your time
Review: This is by far the worst "movie" ever made. It made me want to pierce my eyeballs with a fork and eat them. The story is terribly slow and the plot is idiotic. Who ever enjoyed this movie has serious issues. 2 men make a handicapped woman feel like garbage and that's supposed to be thought-provoking? You're better off trying to fry ants with a magnifying glass in your back yard, it'll be more entertaining and educational than this sad excuse for a film.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad at all, but not a masterpiece either.
Review: This film is ok. Nothing overly special or insightful, although still interesting viewing. One thing it is not, not even remotely, is a comedy. Anyone honestly considering it as such would be someone I'd frankly hope never to have to meet. It is far too dark and unfunny for that. I have to say, though, that I wasn't as appalled over the subject matter as most people seem to be, and that fact in itself makes me far more uneasy than the movie itself: the fact that I have known so many Chads (of both sexes, in fact) in my life, especially my corporate life, that I took the movie's version for cynical granted while watching it. The movie certainly offers a depressing chunk of introspective on human nature in the workplace, if nothing else. The story and script are decent, and the characters and acting are quite good, but there's not much in the way of redemption or insight or enjoyment to make it as worthwhile an exercise as most reviews would lead you to believe. Nonetheless, it's interesting viewing, even if you'll only want to watch it once. I do have to add a note about the technical quality of this DVD: it is indeed atrocious. The video and audio transfer have to be among the worst I've ever seen on a DVD, and in fact are worse than most VHS tapes I've seen as well.
Rating:
Summary: There was nothing remotely funny about this film...
Review: How this actually made it to theatres blows my mind. I cannot believe this was one of the most highly acclaimed films of 1997. Everything about this film was cruel and evil. You must know of the plot by now: Two men are fed up with women, so they set up a scheme to ruin the life of a naive, deaf secretary that works in their office. Their plan is to get her to believe that they love her, and then, later on, let her down by telling her that they never really loved her at all. All this is some kind of sick revenge against women. The majority of the film is the lead character Chad making fun of the lady and her handicap. They manipulate her and lie to her, and it is so painful to watch. You can't help but feel sorrow for the sweet, young girl. The end, in which Chad finally drops the bomb on her is very heartbreaking. I don't know. Some that read this review may think that I am making a big deal out of nothing. I don't think I am. This film was promoted as a comedy. There is nothing funny about watching someone go through this sort of emotional abuse. Pass on this filth. I wish I had.
Rating:
Summary: Great seeing in theaters....but owning it?
Review: This is a really enjoyable film the first time you watch it. It shocks you at the cruelty of it but you continue to watch. However, it's not a movie you'll likely watch over and over again in your free time.
Rating:
Summary: A Dynamic LaBute and Eckhart Doubleteam
Review: Remember the episode of "The Simpsons" where Homer pulls a can from the cupboard labeled 'Nuts and Gum: Together at Last', takes a handful and starts chomping? "I'm a white male, age 18 to 49," he says. "Everyone listens to me -- no matter how dumb my suggestions are." Well, that's the light-hearted and ironic way of wielding a satirical sword around white man's burden. For the other, more vitriolic way, look no further than Neil LaBute's fascinating study, "In the Company of Men". LaBute creates a white-shirted world of angry white men, "unfairly" jettisoned to open the new corporate offices in another city. Marketing exec Chad is angry that his 'Nuts and Gum' power is waning, and concocts a scheme to salvage some shred of dignity before being dragged out to pasture. He convinces his boss and friend, a pushover named Howard, to doubleteam wine-and-dine a hopeless and handicapped woman, only to drop her like a sack of potatoes once their six-week sojourn is up. Her pain will become their entertainment. A more misogynistic setup you'll never find. Matt Malloy as Howard begins as a fine middle-management flunky. This is his first project in power, and Malloy portrays his anxiety and uneasiness quite effectively in the beginning. Unfortunately, his work becomes embarrassing later on, when he has to shed the corporate veneer and wear his heart on his sleeve. The character is written well (blandly sincere in the best sense) but Malloy isn't up to the challenge of the film's climax. Stacey Edwards as Christine is believable as a terminally shy office temp. Her deaf voice (which is skewered mercilessly by her antagonists) is authentic, and so is her vulnerability. There's a scene near the end where she is confronted by the horrors of her situation, and it's just heartbreaking. But neither of these two leading performances registers on the memory, due to Aaron Eckhart's ball-of-fire turn as Chad. Chad is as toxic as a Troma film. He has balls the size of watermelons. And he's as fake as the Hitler diaries. Eckhart imbues these qualities (for lack of a better world) with intense glee. Witness him finally pull the curtain back to skewer Christine. You can almost see the venom dripping from his lips as he metaphorically tears her flesh apart. It's a riveting, charismatic, and important performance that dominates the whole movie. LaBute wears two hats here. The first, as screenwriter, is nearly note-perfect. He does wonders with the banality of office dialogue, sprinkling it with nonsense titles and terms and then popping in a crude joke to lighten things up. He's at his best when writing for Chad, whether it's venting speeches or insincere pillow talk. This is no holds barred, straight from the id, guy talk. And even though it appears exaggerated, LaBute gets the tone just right. The other hat he wears is that of director. And even though he's hampered by a miniscule budget, he manages at least one stylistic choice that works beautifully. Most of the movie is composed of long takes, with the camera positioned a good distance from the action, rarely moving. This gives the film a voyeuristic, almost documentary feel. When the actors are on, and the scene is working, the audience feels privy to a world they wouldn't otherwise be invited into. It's very effective given the subject matter. This is a fascinating snapshot of late-'90's disaffection. LaBute never panders to optimism, right down to the shocking twist ending. He gives you a gloriously even (and most of the time vicariously fun) take on a subject many will find uncomfortable, but most should be confronted with.
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