The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Just when
everything is going smoothly, Bobby Walker (Affleck) suddenly finds himself at a
dead end in his life when he gets fired by his company, which is downsizing due
to the financial crisis affecting the whole USA. Along with his fellow co-workers Phil (Cooper) and
Gene (Lee Jones), the three take a deeper look at their personal lives as
husbands, fathers, and most of all, as men.

As times
passes, Bobby meets with his brother-in-law (Costner), who gets him a blue-collar
job building houses. Together, the former company men learn to be humble and that there’s more
to life than they could have possibly imagined; especially when focusing on the
little things. The film follows the characters as they struggle to come to
terms with losing their jobs and try to rebuild their lives.

The Company Men focuses on the recent US financial crisis and its
effect on thousands, maybe millions, of employees. Although this backdrop for
the plot might not immediately seem like a recipe for drama, it makes this film
topical and somewhat relatable to large audiences.

Lee
Jones, Costner, and Cooper are seasoned actors, and they all put in solid
performances. It’s the inconsistent Affleck, however, who steals the show with a
performance that is every bit as mature and accomplished as his co-stars’.

With such a
focus on character development and plot, the film does unfortunately lack
aesthetically. This is actually quite descriptive of the film as a whole, in
that it is a solid, even production that follows the classic Hollywood format. It
ultimately lacks the real thrill or
tension that you would look for in a drama.