Rating: 
Summary: This movie is better than Nyquil
Review: Oh my gosh, this is the most boring movie hands down I have ever seen. What a complete waste of time and film. What was Neve Campbell trying to do here? Fulfill her dream of becoming a ballerina?? Yawwwwwwwnnnn. I want my money back.
Rating: 
Summary: Beauty is a cruel dream
Review: Robert Altman tries to give us a human vision of a ballet company in Chicago. The first great quality of this film is the dancing itself. A magical world of visual emotions that bring together the feeling that dancers are like birds that try to fly off the ground and conquer the world on one hand, and the beauty of colors and movements that engulf our imagination in a voyage into what can emerge from a maelstrom of recollections and contorsions coming from the deepest and highest strata of our love for the unknown on the other hand. But the film goes beyond this marvelous experience. It reveals the intense cruelty of this profession. The cruelty of a profession that is so short-lived that it is nearly finished before ever starting, the cruelty of an art that demands the impossible from dancers who may be unable to go over the frontier that bounds their fears and their hopes. The fear of aging. The fear of becoming stiff. The fear of falling and hurting their limbs. The fear of engulfing themselves in some deep emotional relation that may lead to an awful disease and death. The fear of displeasing the maestro that commands them. And yet the hope to become so light that the earth may retract and let them fly over the stage. The hope that they will be best and they will know the thrilling experience of a clapping and applauding audience. The hope that the world may be only an emotional trip into love and pleasure. The hope that they will be eternally young and beautiful. And Robert Altman sprinkles his film with the hard moments of reality that darken the beauty of this dancing sky. A fall that hurts or breaks a limb meaning the end of the adventure. A desire that is negated by the maestro, the choreographer, the director and the frustration that will come along with this negation, a frustration that knows no appeal. You can satisfy the tyrant that governs your work or you can't. And if you can't you have to leave, no matter whether you have become too old and have not seen it coming, or you have not been able to ply your limbs into the movement that is required. There is always someone in the wings that is prepared and waiting to take over at any time because the show must go on and you are nothing but a screw in a complex machine, and the screw you are can always be replaced. The only hope you may have, if you are a girl, is to love someone from outside this magic world who will be able to lift you up and take you to a second life. The only hope, if you are a boy, is not specified in the film. Dancing is a lot crueller for boys than it is for girls. So few will be able to become choreographers or directors. So many will have to go along their own ways into some uninteresting and dull feeding jobs somewhere outside. And the audience will not even see you or recognize you, except if you become a star, and the sky of the ballet has so few stars that are shooting stars anyway. And all that cruelty is wrapped up in some golden paper that justifies the chiefs of the tribe who can say they are humane, friendly, loving, though it is only an attitude, a language, a hypocritical stance covering the intense heartlessness of this world. A world of intense hopes, short thrills, constant fears and long frustrations. And no one will care when you are finished.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
Rating: 
Summary: It's Altman, It's Worth It
Review: Save the execrable Dr T and the Women, every Robert Altman picture is worth the price of admission. Some, of course, are monuments; my personal favorite, and a top 10 ever, is Nashville. The Company hardly approaches Altman's heights, but it has many pleasures. For anyone who loves ballet, the work of the dancers in the Joffrey Company of Chicago is spectacular and wonderfully filmed. Malcolm McDowell as the company director is a benign and beloved tyrant. Watch him take possession of his personal chair in each scene where it appears. Watch him with his endless adjustments and caressings of the gold scarf he always wears. Personally, I found the concluding ballet -- Blue Snake -- ludicrous and, unlike Nashville and Gosford Park, the characters in the ensemble acting never take much flight as individuals. Three scenes of differing length are Altman at his height, however. First comes the outdoor stage pas a deux where Neve Campbell first steps from company toward prima. She and her partner dance as a thunderstorm gathers and then begins to drench the audience, umbrellas open, the dancers continue, danger and sensuality commingle. It is wonderful stuff and goes on for minutes and minutes. Second, a dancer snaps a tendon as she lands after a jump and, in a quick but perfect scene, watches on crutches from the spotlit wings as her cover commands the role at the performance that night. Finally, the Christmas roast the Company does of the McDowell character and the Blue Snake choreographer is five or so minutes where the trademark Altman ensemble direction really works. The Company is not perfect, probably not even great Altman, but that's still way better than 90 percent of your box office options.
Rating:
Summary: The Ballet's The Thing!
Review: The ballet: A centuries-old art of expressionism created though various means of physical movements and intellectual stimulation as a form of dance. It is also a form of recreation, where art often imitates life, and vice versa. At the prestigious Joffrey Institute in Chicago, ballet is seen as more than just an art form viewed through life. It is a way to communicate to the soul, and this art speaks to this very inner sanctimonium of the soul in more ways than one, as Antonio Antonelli (Malcolm McDowell), tries to reach his students through unorthodox methods, as well as "force-feeding" his energetic young charges to think outside the box. Getting his students to accept his stern and rudimentary ways of instruction is going to take an eternity, as this young troupe has a mind of their own. Spending much of their time carousing and partying is their idea of "instruction", so it seems, but, as the old adage goes, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", for a little R & R (including a good dose of TLC) in combination with a hefty amount of genuine elbow grease, is bound to make this particular Joffrey troupe stand head and shoulders above the competition (including the Windy City's very own Sears Tower). The cast of "The Company" rises to the occasion as well, including stellar performances from Neve Campbell, as well as Malcolm McDowell, and others. For performing arts theatrics at its finest, nothing beats a production of "The Nutcracker" or of "Swan Lake", for that matter. Move over guys, 'cause there's a new ballet in town. You're both in good company with "The Company", which is in production now, at an art house cinema locale near you!
Rating:
Summary: A Blurry Photograph
Review: The Company can only be described as an art film about dancers for dancers. I can't imagine that anyone else would actually enjoy watching this film. It cannot be described as a "movie" as it has no plot, no established characters, and no real dialogue.
Watching the company it like walking in on an event with the buzz of conversation, but having no idea what anyone is talking about or why they are there. I think it's interesting that this film was able to be produced, but it's simply not interesting to watch. At any time you think something interesting may happen, the scene ends and in the next you see people you've never seen before, only for that scene to end before you can really understand it. Similar to looking at a blurry photograph, you get an idea of what's suposed to be there, but you get no real substance; there is no evidence of a plot until after the first 45 minutes, and even then there is no real development, just a suggestion that things are in fact linear.
If you want to see a film about dance, there are better ones out there. If you want to see a film with a storyline of any kind, there are those as well. To me, this film is only valuable as an experiment, a failed experiement, in filmmaking.
Rating:
Summary: A Photographic Memoir
Review: The Company is a beautiful book of memories from one young dancer's (Neve Campbell's) year at the Joffrey Ballet. I call it a book because the movie shows highlights from her life much like a photo album shows highlights from a person's life. This includes glimpses on what life is like and the sacrifices that a dancer must make to achieve her goals. Highlights from the film include Ms Campbell's sultry, but clean, dance in the rain and the Snake Dance. The film is artsy and may not be appreciated by those who like a strong movie plot. But it is a wonderful book of memories from a year in the life of a beautiful dancer. I have only seen the movie and look forward to purchasing the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: still kicking
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting for the Joffrey, but terrible dance numbers
Review: The Company would have been a much better movie if the producers had chosen some decent classical dance numbers, rather than highlighting the expertise of the Joffrey Ballet with badly choreographed, and dreary pop-culture like material. In the opening of the movie the viewer is subjected to a strange looking dance sequence where the dancers look like computer chips dancing with ribbons, and in the closing of the film a big mess of a number, where the heavily costumed dancers look like something from Sesame Street, and are overshadowed by the tacky stage visuals. Ballet purists are just going to hate the dancing in this movie, and it will no doubt reinforce the notion that companies like the Joffrey Ballet are made up of second rate dancers who go into companies like this because they can never rise to the standard that classical ballet demands.
Much of the dancing shown in this film lacked the bravura technique that is seen in classical dance. The Joffrey seems to be a showcase for up-and -coming choreographers with modernistic ideas, good or bad, and unfortunately this movie shows both. One might also wonder whom the target audience is - people who like classical dance, theatre, or Broadway shows? Whatever the case it seems to be a mixture of the three, but none of the dancing in this film made this viewer want to purchase a ticket to see the Joffrey Ballet Company perform anytime soon.
Beautifully filmed in a kind of understated documentary style, the story centers around Alberto Antonelli (Malcolm McDowell), a feisty, self-possessed, rude, ruthless, manager who is also a passionate, dedicated, and multi-talented perfectionist. He calls his dancers his "babies" and tries to get them to see the subliminal emotional links behind the choreography and music. Neve Campbell plays Ry short for Ryan who Alberto swoons over after he gives her an opportunity to dance lead in a romantic, storm-swept ballet, outdoors on a cold, wet, and thunderous night in Chicago (the ballet is actually quite dreary). Ryan meets Josh (Ryan Franco), a young, sensitive gourmet chef, but their relationship is strained when Ryan has to work nights as a waitress in a local disco bar to pay her way.
The film does to a good job of showing the day-to-day running of a ballet company. There's the fresh talent struggling to find their place, dancers who get hurt, aging talent who refuse to change their ways, young dancers who are instantaneously replaced, homeless dancers who are forced to sleep on their friends' floors, and also the inevitable romances and breakups. There are also the realities of poor pay, blistering feet, and the worries of funding the next season. Dance certainly is the main focus of the film, particularly the punishing day-to-day routine of rehearsals and classes. And unlike Ann Bancroft in the Turning Point, in this film Neve Campbell, actually dances, and she does well as a believable member of the ballet company
Altman has also directed the movie in a way so that it appears that viewers are eavesdropping on the Joffrey administration and the dancers' conversations with each other and their families. We also get to see the changing rooms backstage and, the sometimes, bawdy and rowdy behavior of both the boys and the girls. But it was evident from the beginning that in this film movement and effect have taken precedence over glittering technique. The Company does however, have a certain merit and value because it will probably be effective in bringing culture and dance to the masses. Mike Leonard October 04.
Rating:
Summary: No plot, but a spectacle which may enrapture
Review: This film is a visual delight. It enraptures your senses ... even if you find yourself waiting for the story to begin. It is neither a documentary about the life of Chicago's Joffrey Ballet, nor is it conventional fiction. There is little that could be described as a plot. The fascination is in the performance and sense of intimacy Altman creates.
Director Robert Altman has a naturalistic style. Working without a plot is not unusual - "Gosforth Park", for instance, has a very fragile structure. He tends, instead, to observe the characters interact, to focus on what makes the characters tick: his 1970 hit, "M*A*S*H", is perhaps the most widely seen example - there are sub-plots ... but no real plot other than survival.
Altman's concern is with interaction. The characters, here, are the dancers in the ballet company. They are artists, they work longer and harder than any other artist, yet they are treated like high school kids - they cram into a locker room to get changed, work hours every day, risk career threatening injury, and earn barely enough to keep a roof over their heads.
Altman portrays the pain - the blisters, bruises, muscle tears, the corns, plasters, bandages, the endless pressure. He makes it clear that the dancers can be expendable - they are rarely consulted about the art they perform, but are often patronised or bullied.
Altman has a critical perspective. The dancers provide a spectacle for an elitist audience - who may have to suffer the inconvenience of rain during an open-air production, but who clearly don't otherwise suffer much for their art. For them, the ballet is a social occasion, one in which they are presented with the seemingly effortless. Even the onstage injury of a dancer is concealed - a substitute takes her place ... and takes the bows at the end.
Altman has an improvisational style in his filming. He's said he wants the audience to pay attention, to work at understanding his movies. If you watch a ballet ... highly stylised, often utterly surreal ... how do you understand what is taking place? Altman makes you work to understand what is going on in this film, to value the performance without the artifice of a plot. This is life as dancers know it!
Neve Campbell's skills are very definitely on show here. She was the driving force behind the film: she co-wrote and co-produced it, and pestered Altman until he agreed to direct. Campbell spent six years at the National Ballet School of Canada; she was a dancer long before she became an actor. She was a cute teenager in "Party Of Five", appeared unflappable in teenage horror movies, but here, she takes on a gruelling, adult role ... and is convincing not only as a dancer, but in her ability to forego celebrity status and blend into the background as a member of the company.
Campbell is just one of the dancers. You are never allowed to see her as a star. The movie is more slice-of-life than a typical Hollywood vehicle for a celebrity cast. Most of the roles are played by actual company members - Campbell and the film crew are the outsiders.
There are minor subplots, but the real concentration is on the hard work, dedication, and humour of the dancers. They smile, their faces stripped of any emotion other than ones called for by the choreographer. Malcolm McDowell gives a potent performance as the sometimes autocratic, sometimes avuncular director, perhaps echoing Altman's reputation as something of a control freak.
The film takes on a documentary quality - the camera leads you in amongst the dancers. You can hear the sound of their feet hitting the stage - crisp little sounds, like pistol shots. You can certainly sense the eroticism of the performance - I've often wondered if classical ballet started as a form of pornography.
The dancers, themselves, deconstruct their art. They parody the role of the director and choreographer, mocking the pretensions of the purists, and revelling in their own skills and vitality. They may be on pain killers and other supplements, may be too busy to have much of a life beyond the company, but they are performers, and they live to dance.
Not a film everyone will enjoy. I'm not a great ballet fan, but this movie captured my imagination and my interest. It is not an easy film to watch. You have to concentrate. But the visual spectacle is utterly absorbing. It's a film you can watch again and again and just ... well, just enjoy as a spectacle. But, if my review has intrigued you enough, I suggest you rent it first.
Rating:
Summary: Very Interesting and enlightening movie
Review: 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!
|
