The Company (2003) User Reviews

A Dance of a Movie about Dance

[Euphorbia · 7/10 · 15 October 2004]

The DVD extras with some movies make the film seem better than it did just watching it. "The Company" is a good example.

I'd wondered, briefly, why star Neve Campbell also got producer credit. The DVD 'making of' documentary explains that the whole project was her idea; she'd been a dancer long before she took up acting, and wanted to combine the two. She chose Altman to direct, because of his skill at portraying relations and interactions among people in groups.

Altman did a fine job depicting dance, both rehearsals and performances. Campbell showed she can still dance. Malcolm McDowell gave a great performance as the acerbic company director. The Joffrey dancers were brilliant. Altman has created a dazzling cinematic album of what the world of dance is like at the beginning of the 21st century.

But the story arc was weak. This was no accident. In a recent (October 2004) interview, Altman said:

Question: "Why do you think you're drawn to stories about big groups of people sharing the same space? Did it have anything to do with growing up in such a large, close-knit family?"

Robert Altman: "Possibly. I don't know. That's a little too cerebral for me. I'm not much interested in stories anyway. I'm more interested in reactive behavior."

That sums up "The Company" very nicely. The movie is a montage of scenes of "reactive behavior" among realistic characters, and in this it is more like real life than a more structured story would have been.

Of course there is some story structure here, involving the creation of a new dance. This story is engaging, because the outside choreographer is a fey flake, and dance disaster seems foredoomed. But the dancers, being good soldiers, follow his orders diligently. And despite all expectations, at least all of my expectations, their climactic performance is superb.

But this story is not central to the movie. Again like life, it unfolds amidst all sorts of other organizational and interpersonal drama.

And for this reason the movie left me unsatisfied. Part of what I look for in movies, and in books, is a story arc: a beginning, a middle, and an end. I look for this precisely because life is rarely that neat. Many directors deliver this arc (and many more try to, and fail). Robert Altman chose not to try. He is free to do that, and I am free to rate this movie 7/10.

So realistic it's like a documentary

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 12 February 2020]

I love movies about dancers, but usually my favorites are a bit more sugarcoated than The Company. This one was a very refreshing change as it portrays dancers in a ballet company so realistically it feels like a documentary. Most of the actors are real dancers, and they don't act like there's a camera following them around. There are long scenes of rehearsals with bickering, silences followed by interrupted dialogue, mumbling, and dead time while we watch men and women stretching or putting on their shoes. If that sounds boring to you, stick with the Step Up franchise.

I really enjoyed The Company because of the realism. I knew Neve Campbell came from a ballet background, and I was very excited to see her showing off her hidden talents. James Franco does not, unfortunately, strap on a pair of flats and join in on the fun; instead he's Neve's boyfriend in the few scenes that show her enjoying her down time. Malcom MacDowell is the company director, and he's very believable as a passionate, demanding choreographer.

There's a scene that has stayed with me through the years: while rehearsing on stage as the performance grows nearer, a dreadful snap is heard, and one of the dancers collapses and cradles her leg. It's not drawn out dramatically or showcased in a closeup, and because of the lack of special attention, it feels so much more real and accidental. If you like ballet documentaries, or you really appreciate realism to the point of boredom, you might want to check out this movie.

The Blue Snake Bites

[chetley · 6/10 · 14 July 2004]

I'm no dance critic, but. . . I was very disappointed with the choice of "The Blue Snake" as the ultimate and climactic "number" in "The Company". To me, it really stood out as the least interesting and most cliched of all the dances in the film. Those outrageous costumes! That "Ice Capades" choreography! Altman & Co. really ought to have chosen a piece that would have shown the Joffrey's more adventuresome side.

I went into this film knowing that it was a "dance movie" with minimal storyline, and I was still disappointed. It's not a good sign when I start looking at my watch halfway through a film. It doesn't bother me that a "dance film" eschews the Melodrama of "The Turning Point" or "A Chorus Line." But "The Company" also eschews Interest! There was basically nothing to "hang onto" outside the dance sequences. Only Ry (Neve Campbell's character) was given any appreciable screentime, and aside from a few quiet moments, she wasn't given very much to do.

Okay, I admit that I liked one dramatic scene a lot: a flirtatious moment between Ry and Josh - the chef who looks like a male model - which takes place in a dive bar. There should have been more scenes like that.

I rate the film a 6 - dramatically disappointing, while the quality of the dance sequences varies from sublime to ridiculous.

So Everything's Not So Beautiful at the Ballet After All

[noralee · 18 January 2004]

"The Company" is a lovely commercial for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago (for New Yorkers this is in fact the same modern ballet company that used to be based at City Center but left the competitive dance fund raising environment here to have the stage to itself in Chicago).

A labor of love for producer/story writer/star/former dancer Neve Campbell, she was determined to make the first film about a whole company, not just using the dance world for a backdrop of individual melodrama, and with long passages of actual performances. So she brought in the primo director of ensembles, Robert Altman. But clearly she made compromises to get the film made that put his creativity as a director in a straight jacket and only lets his trademark talents fleetingly shine through.

The key was getting the Joffrey's cooperation and I can only imagine the tough negotiations that resulted in this pretty much being a whitewash of the ballet world, or of any creative endeavor, in sharp contrast to the behind-the-scenes reality shows "Project Greenlight" on HBO or "The Fire Within" about Cirque du Soleil's "Varekai" that was on Bravo. I surmise a long list of thou shalt not's that appear to include items such as:

-- no views of the non-artistic administrators, board, or fund raisers (there's a passing exhortation to a flashy choreographer Robet Desrosiers to stay within the budget, but he gets the complicated costumes and sets he wants anyway);

-- no homosexual relationships (there's a passing reference to the dancers AIDS has taken including "Bob", which cognoscenti have to know refers to the company's founder Robert Jeffrey, and Malcolm McDowall as the egotistical artistic director "Alberto Antonelli," a stand-in presumably for current company director Gerald Arpino, urges fellow Italian-American men not to make their boys, like he had to, "hide their ballet shoes");

-- no eating disorders (we do twice hear "Mr. A," half-jokingly, urge the company to eat salads and vegetables and there's one fast, quiet exchange in passing that I think was about diet pills);

-- blame dancers' problems on dysfunctional parents and mentors, recalling that vivid song from "A Chorus Line" - "Everything was beautiful at the ballet" as dancers seek to escape messy situations through temporary perfect beauty.

Altman does get to assert his artistic priorities in a few ways. He effectively seizes on the ageism in dance, showing that it's not just the tyranny of aging bodies, as would affect any athlete, but that dancers with experience speak up for themselves and are more difficult to control in a viciously autocratic environment than ambitious, financially desperate, and, literally, pliable young dancers.

It's also the first time I've seen a camera expose the swarm of acolyte assistants to the director, revealing them as ex-dancers whom "Mr. A" still dismissively calls "babies" and who resent the new stars even as they dance vicariously through them.

The other beautiful Altman touch is when the significant character developments take place not center stage in a crowd but through a look or line happening way in the corner of the screen, like the expression on James Franco, as Cambell's chef beau, when she avoids introducing him to her family amidst a rush of congratulators.

But visually and musically the Joffrey is a wonderful choice, as the choreographers represented range from Arpino to Alwin Nikolais to Laura Dean and MOMIX. A centerpiece danced by Campbell is a sexy Lar Lubovitch pas de deux to the signature song "My Funny Valentine" which is used as a leitmotif, for reasons that still seem murky to me after hearing Altman explain why on "Charlie Rose," throughout the film in versions also by Elvis Costello, Chet Baker, and the Kronos Quartet. The music ranges from classical to jazz to the ethereal pop of Julee Cruise, Mark O'Connor's in-between "Appalachia Waltz", and the lovely score by Van Dyke Parks.

Realistic look at ballet

[rosscinema · 6/10 · 24 January 2004]

This was a project that was very slow to get made but its very easy to see how serious all the actors and dancers took their jobs because real pain and sweat are evident. Story is about the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and the year long process that it takes to cast and assemble the right people for an ambitious show called Blue Snake. The lead female dancer is Loretta "Ry" Ryan (Neve Campbell) who works very hard during the day practicing her performance then at night waiting on tables in a club. The Artistic Director of the ballet company is Alberto Antonelli (Malcolm McDowell) who is very demanding but listens to everyone's complaints about various things that have to be done for the show. One of the biggest things Antonelli has to worry about is the small budget that he cannot control.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Ry finds a boyfriend in a young man named Josh (James Franco) who works as a chef and they enjoy each others company although their schedules frequently conflict. An older dancer named Harriet (Barbara Robertson) is having a difficult time adjusting to new techniques and she is at odds with the director and choreographer.

This film is directed by the great Robert Altman and he was pursued for a long time to direct this but he kept resisting until he finally figured out why he was chosen. This film is about the process of creating something artistic with a small budget and this epitomizes Altman's career. Neve Campbell is a trained ballet dancer and not only is this her story but she helped produce it as well. Even though Altman directed this was made primarily because of Campbell's persistence and vision. She trained everyday for 4 months to get into shape like a dancer and her body is sleek and toned. Campbell performs her own dances and the films authenticity is because of her. Many of Altman's trademarks are prevalent here like the characters that we expect to see more of then don't. Actress Marilyn Dodds Frank plays Campbell's mother and her character drinks a lot and is always intruding in her daughters career and life. There is no big confrontation between the two because Altman never has that in his films. These are just the way these characters are and this is a big reason why his films are so realistic. The film does move about slowly and it's very difficult to really get emotionally involved with any of the characters but the hard work and sacrifices that they make cannot be denied. The honesty of the story and Campbell's realistic portrayal of a dancer make this film work.

Lesser Altman, But Never Boring

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 29 April 2005]

No, despite the fact that "The Company" is even more lacking in narrative structure than the usual Altman film, I was never bored. I'm not a fan of ballet, but even I was thrilled by the performances in this film and moved by the beauty of dance. What Altman has done here is use one art form to record the artistic process of another, and it's mostly successful on those terms. I have to admit that my attention did wander at times. I didn't want a contrived plot and was happy just watching artists at work, but even I was craving some dramatic conflict here and there. I have to think there's more drama in the behind-the-scenes world of professional dance (just as there is when any group of people come together in a community) than Altman finds here. But the visuals are superb, especially the cinematography. And, being from Chicago myself, it was fun to soak in the Windy City locations (I could have been an extra in the outdoor scene they filmed in Grant Park, but wasn't able to go to the shoot).

There's really no need to mention the actors, since none of them really registers, with the exception of Malcolm McDowell, who breezes on and off the screen wearing a yellow scarf around his neck and barking tyrannical orders to have furniture moved out of his way. No, the star of this show is the dance itself. It's not one of Altman's best films, but he's certainly done much, much worse.

Grade: B

If you love ballet, you'll enjoy this film. If not, not.

[=G= · 6/10 · 2 June 2004]

"The Company" is about a season with the Joffrey Ballet company. That's it. That sums it up. You'll get to see bits and pieces of ballet stuff, large and small, behind the scenes and before the audiences with full-on glorious, spectacular, sumptuous, heady colorful productions replete with all the usual leaping around. You'll come to learn that ballet dancers are people too and shoot pool and bum condoms and snap tendons and schmooz and hang out and drill and drill and drill some more. What you won't see is any semblance of a plot or story. Just ballet stuff. Lots and lots of ballet stuff. So, if you love ballet stuff, "The Company" is for you. But if you're like me and think ballet is kind of gay, you may want to watch NASCAR or rassling or something. (B)

Beautiful ballet scenes with token romance plot spliced in. 6/10.

[Ben_Cheshire · 2/10 · 30 June 2004]

The ballet sequences are probably the most breathtaking we've seen in a fiction film. Altman succeeds in putting ballet in the fore, instead of characters or story. This was his intention, and on this front he gets a 8/10. However, where there are not ballet scenes, there is a story: Neve Campbell wrote it. And she seems not to have seen any other romance movie since the dawn of time. Its just the kind of romance subplot a little girl WOULD write: with soft lighting, flickering candlelight, a beautiful boy who does nothing wrong, listens to your problems, sleeps with you, and lets you get on with your dancing. He appears when it is convenient for both Neve and Bob Altman to insert a romantic scene: and just as gimmicky a brushstroke as this, is his entrance always being marked by the same song, My Funny Valentine. It was nice how they had four different versions of the song, for different moods: the upbeat poolhall number for their meeting, the romantic one for the seduction, and a more melancholy one when she's missing him. Anyone who knows this song (most of us), feel how gimmicky a device this is when it arrives again.

So far is this from the dramatic conflict between love and dancing in Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes that we're almost barren of any narrative drive or dramatic conflict at all. That's my main problem with The Company - nothing goes wrong. Or when it does go wrong (raining on the night of a performance), it always serves to improve the moment for the protagonists: indeed it is an incredible scene, Neve dancing a duet with a Joffret dancer. A moving, beautiful dance. But that's precicely the problem: there is no problem!

Malcolm McDowell is no good. He gets a C-. He tries, but its so obvious throughout that he knows not a jot about ballet, and he just walks around play-acting at a ballet coach from the movies, while the real Joffret coaches tell the dancers what they need to know. And his calling everyone "babies" is a clumsy attempt to create character through a catchphrase.

6/10

Beautiful ballet scenes, A+ for putting the dancing centre-stage, so to speak (as opposed to the tawdry melodrama called Centre Stage). But all we've got to go on narrative-wise is a thin-as-a-ballet-ribbon romance subplot. If this wasn't there, actually, it might have been a very successful art movie - but its gimmicky presence is so clumsy its a fault.

Wonderful, engrossing movie, with much authenticity

[ciocio-2 · 10/10 · 10 March 2004]

THE COMPANY shows several slices of lives (that of the company, and those of various other characters) over a period of a few months or so. So many things happen during that time: large, small, hugely significant, totally mundane, sad, frustrating, thrilling, indifferent. Through it all, there is so much beauty, emotion and human reality. There is also a LOT of wonderful dance, and fascinating, very authentic, glimpses at preparation for, and creation of, real professional ballet performances.

Anyone needing a continuous, linear, 'a, to b, to climax and neat ending' plot will not find that here. The movie has its own rhythms, and was completely engrossing throughout for me, as well as entertaining. I love traditional, straightforwardly plotted movies (good ones, that is, of which there are many), but this movie is its very own animal, and it's wonderful. It is absolutely the most honest, true-to-real-life movie (that I've seen, anyway) ever made about the life, work and culture of a professional ballet company (not that they are all alike, but there is much that is universal) and some of the people (friends, family, audience members, etc.) who interact with it at times. And, what a treat to have a 'ballet movie' with authentic, good-to-excellent professional dancers in realistic stage performances. (CENTER STAGE was mostly sickeningly ridiculous, as was its 2008 sequel, to an even greater degree) and the audition scenes in SAVE THE LAST DANCE were EMBARRASSINGLY bad--they even misspelled Juilliard--oy!)

Always, audience members need to open themselves up, and try to experience a movie (or any piece of art/entertainment) on its own terms. You may like it or not, think it succeeds or not. But you don't go to TERMINATOR 3 expecting it to operate like an intimate, quiet, nuanced character study, and then condemn it because it didn't meet those expectations. With this movie, you need to understand and accept that you'll be seeing assorted moments, just various pieces and details of lives, and let go of the idea that they'll form into a finite "story" (shouldn't be too hard for Altman fans). For me, the pieces were fascinating enough to make the whole extremely rewarding and beautiful.

By the way, I did find myself caring very much about the characters in THE COMPANY, although differently than I might about the characters in a more traditionally-plotted movie. The characterizations are very real, not "actor-ish," from those who *are* actual actors, as well as those who are not. So many beautiful sequences, but one that really struck me as I watched was as Ry (Campbell's character) arrives home late, after an exciting, triumphant night, prepares for bed, and begins to cry. This sequence is alternated with scenes of one of the male dancers alone in a studio, listening to music, moving to it, trying to begin choreographing a dance. So true to life, and moving.

This is really a wonderful movie, and I hope there are enough people around who appreciate and enjoy this kind of thing, for more such movies to be made. Kudos to Mr. Altman, Ms. Campbell, and all the others involved.

Beautiful to watch.

[JimmyCollins · 6/10 · 11 November 2011]

I am a fan of ballet, I find it to be the most beautiful form of dance in history, and The Company is a film I have been wanting to see for quite some time, in Australia the film hasn't been available for some time but it recently got a DVD release so I snapped it up quickly. The dance sequences are the best thing about this movie, I probably would have enjoyed it mire if there was a full film of just dance scenes, the scenes that aren't complimented very well by the actual storyline or lack thereof. The almost non existent plot bothered me a bit, at first it seemed as though it was headed somewhere but I quickly realized that this wasn't the case, it seemed to me that there was nothing to work towards, and at the end of the movie it just instills this belief further because the end is just so sudden and just nothing. Another thing I thought was wrong was the boring relationship between Neve and James, it wasn't interesting in the least.

With the exception of the plot problems this movie is great, the score is fantastic, the acting is wonderful, Neve Campbell is stellar in a role that she obviously felt very passionate about, Malcolm McDowell does the whole high strung ballet boss to perfection, and Mr Franco is unnecessary but pretty enough to look at.

If you're interested in ballet at all this movie is one to see because you really just observe how the company works in a kind of fly on the wall kind of way. For me it was just easy to watch but a tad frustrating due to the lacking plot but don't let that stop you, it's no Centre Stage but it is still worth watching. Check it out.

Neve Campbell takes Robert Altman to the Ballet

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 28 November 2009]

This documentary-styled film was made with the cooperation of Chicago's famed Joffrey Ballet. "Legendary director," alerts the DVD sleeve, "Robert Altman takes us into the world of the dancers whose professional and personal lives clash as they cope with the demands of a life in the ballet. Neve Campbell plays a gifted but conflicted company member on the verge of becoming a principal dancer at a fictional Chicago troupe," and, "James Franco co-stars as Campbell's boyfriend, a master chef who provides romance and refuge from the watchful eye of the pompous artistic director played by Malcolm McDowell."

"The Company" is filled with nicely shot ballets, directed by Mr. Altman. It's difficult to say much about the film without being completely subjective. It's a beautiful production, and may appeal to viewers interested in the ballet. I found it too pretty to reveal much about the trials and tribulations it covers. There is some good emotion conveyed, for example, when a dancer is asked to leave the group; but, generally, there is no real grit given to the characters. Stuff happens, sacrifices are shown, and people work hard; but, their lives are not very interesting, especially when compared to other stories about the ballet.

***** The Company (9/8/03) Robert Altman ~ Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, James Franco, Barbara Robertson

9/10

[desperateliving · 9/10 · 22 May 2004]

Some of the dances are tiny religious experiences. The film doesn't look nearly as good as some of Altman's others, but there are flashes of awesome beauty: a topless male dancer alone in a room with golden beams of light, and Neve Campbell in her bath. The movie looks at the queeny pretensions of the boys (and their fathers), the dancers' sex lives (who are more '60s than their instructor knows), and the company leader, played by Malcolm McDowell, whose occasional flakiness is caught by one black dancer. I couldn't help but think of McDowell as an Altman self-criticism: an elderly director working with small budgets, prone to artiness, who champions art as being organic, who rounds up a large crew of performers and calls them "babies." The day-in-the-life shapelessness of the movie didn't at all bother me, though one character, who asks to stay in a dancer's apartment, is dropped pretty quickly. And James Franco is in it. 9/10

Less Drama, More Dance

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 26 February 2018]

"The Company" was a personal project for Neve Campbell for years. An ex-dancer, she is its producer, writer and star. But the film is not called "The Dancer", so her character is little more a cog in the machinery of The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, where she is a featured dancer.

Given that Robert Altman directs, we should not feel surprised that this drama has little of the usual dramatic story arc. Instead, like many Altman projects ("Nashville", e.g.) it feels like a slice of life-more documentary than drama.

For fans of ballet, it offers plenty of performance footage and numerous scenes of backstage happenings, if not backstage drama. Campbell picks up a boyfriend (Dave Franco) along the way, but the relationship feels no more important that her constant battle with sore feet. This is cinema verite and those who want the (literally) painful truth about the rigors and rewards of dance will find this film committed to honesty. Or, at least, Neve Campbell's honesty. Despite the prices she has paid for being a dancer, she still loves it.

If you want the traditional story arc, see "Center Stage". Instead of rigors and rewards, it offers heartaches and triumphs. "The Company" offers some of that--the scene where a dancer snaps her Achilles tendon is, for me, heart-rending. But the film does not allow that tragedy to remain personal; in the life of the company, the show goes on with little more than a hiccup.

Malcolm McDowell is the imperious and impervious director of the company. He plays the part with the traits necessary for his position. He wheedles, he schmoozes, he lays down the law, his law.

Much has been written about the use of "My Funny Valentine" as a musical theme. It does feel overused, and the many versions of it unnecessarily draw the viewer's attention. See "Sharkey's Machine" for a better use of the song.

I am glad I saw this film, but honestly, at twenty-two minutes in, I realized I had seen it before. I had forgotten the film entirely. This is not to say that it is not worth remembering, just that our lives are filled with many significant days, and the slice-of-life offered by this film is one of them, even with its beautiful moments and the inclusion of Neve Campbell's incandescent intensity.

A Complete Borefest

[PZP543 · 1/10 · 13 August 2005]

I attempted to watch this movie and quickly regretted the decision about 30 minutes into the film. I was under the impression that the movie would make some kind of feeble attempt at presenting a story in a timely manner with some basic character build-up. Boy was I wrong. The movie seemed to avoid every possibility of a plot with a climax. The movie makes a sorry attempt at portraying the lives of ballet dancers in a company. I'm sure some research into the background of Neve Campbell, the so-called star of the film, would reveal some interest and background into ballet,I hope. Any ballet dancer could have been lead character. This film would have been better suited as a one hour documentary on A&E or Bravo. Over half the movie seemed to be dedicated to actual ballet performances,which were nice, but really dull. I'm sure there is much time, dedication, and drama in the lives of ballet dancers who battle it out to be the one performer who gets to shine on stage during performances, but this movie does a real boring job at portraying it.

Altman's Red Shoes

[tieman64 · 14 February 2009]

Watching "The Company", I was suddenly aware of how stylistically similar Robert Altman is to one of my other favourite directors, Frederick Wiseman.

Wiseman is a documentary filmmaker who typically picks a space or institution as his subject (a high school, a town, a military base, a zoo, a hospital etc), and then sets about filming human beings as they work and interact within these self-contained environments. Wiseman improvises, shoots without a screenplay, is subtly satirical, hires small crews and seems content to simply observe people as they go about their various day-to-day routines within their chosen fields or environments.

Altman operates in a similar way. With "The Company" he sets his sights on the Joffrey Ballet Group of Chicago, voyeuristically observing its inhabitants over the course of several months. There is seemingly no overriding narrative, no overt plot, only a series of connective strands, each character existing as a pebble in a vast mosaic.

What separates Altman from Wiseman, however, is Altman's acute awareness of genre. Altman enjoys subverting expectations, turning war on its head in "MASH", noir with "The Long Goodbye", deconstructed "Bonnie and Clyde" with "Thieves Like Us", ripped apart the western with "Buffalo Bill" and "Mrs Miller", mauled the murder mystery with "Gosford Park" and pretty much invented the anti-narrative multi-character mosaic (badly imitated by Paul Haggis, Lawrence Kasdan, John Sayles, and Paul Thomas Anderson) with films like "Nashville" or "Short Cuts".

With "The Company", the narrative being deconstructed is your usual "star is born" tale ("Showgirls", "Red Shoes", "All About Eve", "Black Swan" etc). Actress Neve Campbell, at first glance, appears to be the heart of the picture. She plays your typical lowly artist stereotype who works hard, hoping for that lucky break which will lead to her starring in the film's final grand performance.

But as the film progresses, Altman will continually undermine the genres usual obstacles and clichés. Watch how he sets up Neve's final performance, only to have her fall and be pulled out of the show. Watch how he sets up Neve's argument with her lover, only to have them peacefully fall asleep together. Watch how he sets up a pushy mother who is consistently unable to get a word in. Watch how he sets up a thunderstorm which has no effect on the performance. Watch how he sets up the vindictive father of one ballet dancer, only to have the guy consistently brushed off.

Time and time again, conflicts are set up and then undermined. This notion of avoiding conflict, of dodging the act of telling a story, is epitomised in the film by Mr A, the manager of the ballet company (and an obvious stand in for Robert Altman), who leaves the room whenever someone wishes to argue with him. The result is that, not only are conventions subverted, but the very act of storytelling seems avoided.

One thus recalls the climax to Altman's "Thieves Like Us", a crime movie which likewise subverted gangster clichés. That film promised us your typical last act, gangster bloodbath, our bank robber heroes dying in slow motion, a hail of bullets peppering their bloody bodies. But when his climactic shootout occurs, Altman pulls the rug out from under our feet and cuts away. In this simple scene, we see how Altman operates. What is usually denied is given precedence; the spaces omitted in "normal" films are given, by Altman, room to breathe.

For better or worse, reversals like this - both obvious and subtle - take place constantly throughout Altman's filmography. Enjoyment of his films thus depends on the audience having an intimate awareness of what is being subverted, deconstructed or undermined, which is perhaps why Altman is so despised. Those who like his films tend to like him for what he doesn't do. What he sets up and then rejects.

Beyond all this you have the typical self-referential Altman layer. The act of preparing, improvising and putting on a show (ballet), is mirrored to the act of preparing, improvising and creating Altman's film. And of course you need a creative force in both worlds, personified by Mr A (Malcolm McDowell) in the film, Altman's doppelgänger. Such a self-referential layer is typical of Altman. "Nashville", "Buffalo Bill", "MASH", "Gosford Park", "Prairie Home Companion", "The Player", "Cookie's Fortune" etc, all revolve around large groups of people getting together and putting on a performance. What's fresh about "The Company" is the sheer level of restraint.

8/10 - Worth two viewings.

For an insightful documentary on ballet dancers, see French filmmaker Nils Tavernier's "Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet".

[ruby_fff · 7/10 · 13 February 2004]

Robert Altman's Neve Campbell collaborated film "The Company" featured dazzling ballet excerpts that's almost like a promo for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. One just might want to see the full live performances. They are mostly modern dances, just the names of the dances are intriguing and poetic: "Tensile Involvement", "Light Rain", "Creative Force", "Trinity", "Strange Prisoners", "White Widow". "The Blue Snake" is elaborate fun, and "My Funny Valentine" showcased Neve Campbell herself (who originated the story and co-produced the film) dancing a duet in a most dramatic setting with hailing wind, thunder and rain, and an audience that won't budge in spite of the inclement weather - they were mesmerized, somehow. I was particularly impressed with the creative lighting designs (by Kevin Dreyer) so innovatively presented, enhancing the whole look and feel of each ballet. Of course, the choreography, music, costumes and the hard work of each dancer all come to fruition.

It's true that this film is thin on storyline. If the intent is to give us a taste of the repertoire of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago Company, and snippets of backstage 'organized chaos' during a ballet performance, then it's satisfactorily delivered. The slim in-between scenes of Campbell (as star-rising dancer Ry) and James Franco (as Ry's boyfriend who's not involved in the world of dance but food preparation instead), and the occasional on screen presence of Malcolm McDowell (as the company's artistic director) provided some sort of semblance to the various aspects in the world of ballet.

For a more comprehensive look at the life of ballet dancers - from performances to backstage, one on one on the spot exchanges, young students (12-14 of age) starting at dance school, and perspectives from dance teachers, star dancers and a prima ballerina at her last performance before retiring (at age 40), check out the insightful and satisfying documentary (available on DVD) by French filmmaker Nils Tavernier, "Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet" (aka "Tout près des étoiles" -- very near to the stars, indeed).

Other more dramatic movies on ballet: Nicholas Hytner's "Center Stage" 2000, with an energetic young cast, about the trials and tribulation & jubilation of becoming a ballet dancer; Herbert Ross' "The Turning Point" 1977 with Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft, also featured Mikhail Baryshnikov, about the aspirations and pains of pursuing & not pursuing a career in ballet.

The movie is predictable, but the dancing is incredible!

[Red-125 · 7/10 · 2 February 2004]

The Company (2003), directed by Robert Altman, is an ambitious attempt to depict the uglier aspects of life within a dance company as the dancers create the beautiful art we see on the stage.

By now, it's no surprise to us that ballet dancers are athletes--they practice,they compete within the company, they argue with the choreographers, and they get injured both physically and psychologically.

What's surprising is that a newly created program, described by the choreographer in a way that makes it sound ridiculous, can be so incredibly beautiful when it's performed.

The movie stars Neve Campbell as a young dancer. (Campbell is also one of the writers.) Campbell has studied dance, and she does a creditable job as a talented professional who's ready to break out of the corps and become a star.

Malcolm McDowell plays the talented but egotistical artistic director of the company. For reasons unclear to me, the character is called Alberto Antonelli, and one entire scene revolves around the fact this he's Italian-American. McDowell is a fine actor, but he's the least Italianate person in the movie. I don't know what Altman had in mind with this aspect of the plot.

In summary, see this movie for the dancing, and for its insight into the inner workings of a dance company. If you can forget the plot, and watch the ballet, The Company will be worth seeing.

Good if you like ballet, but...

[SuryaVL · 7/10 · 12 October 2003]

Altman knows how to make movies. And you can see that when watching this movie. The cast is good, the cinematography works very well and the choreography is great. Even for someone not interested in ballet, like me, this movie is very enjoyable, because you get to see the best parts form the performed shows, and get a great view inside the way things work there.

But the problem is: there's virtually no story. You hardly get to know the characters, let alone get to like them.

So if you go, enjoy the visuals, but don't be hoping for a great movie. I see this more like a demonstration of the ballet world, or something like that.

7/10

So bad I wanted to beat my head against the wall

[sassie1976 · 1/10 · 12 March 2005]

Laundry has more of a plot then this! I mean in doing laundry there is a set task and you finish (hopefully in one day), not with this movie. There is no plot, no adversity, no challenges, NOTHING. I kept watching it because I had invested 45 minutes, then an hour, then you think SOMETHING is going to happen and NOTHING. Yeah the dance scenes were pretty, but it was not a movie. It was more of an unfunny mockumentary. Please- go to the ballet and don't see this movie. (I don't know why I checked spoiler because there is nothing to spoil.)

Nothing, nothing, nothing happened!!!) Nev honey, stick to screaming!

I have to keep writing, so she has a blister on her foot. Everyone is broke. A dancer hurts her leg. Nev hurts her shoulder. Her man cuts his hand. But that is about as much detail as the movie goes in to it. Oh, dancers sometimes take motion sickness pills because they get dizzy doing all those spins.

Well, that's really it.

The Company is the best ballet movie I have ever seen.

[judy-faulkner · 10/10 · 26 February 2004]

The Company is the best ballet movie I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few. Most ballet fans will tolerate a silly, self-conscious,infantile story just to see the dancing. There was nothing to endure, however, by watching The Company. The dancing was wonderful, refreshing, and, at times, hypnotically beautiful; for that alone I will purchase the DVD once it is released. The story, though, was a very pleasant surprise. The dancers were adults; they were stoical, determined, talented professionals. There was no whining melodrama, only dedication. There was no sordid, steamy sex scenes with subsequent sleazy betrayals, but sweet, sensual, real love. Even those in power were not the usual glamorous megalomaniacs; they were dedicated, passionate, and astute. It's been a long time since I have been so delighted with any movie, let alone a ballet movie. What a wonderful departure from the mundane, silly world that Hollywood generally makes of ballet.

It's all about the dancing

[pyattimac · 7/10 · 5 November 2016]

The Company is, I believe, intended to be a film about dancers, but it winds up being mainly a vehicle for the dancing sequences, which are wonderful. In fact,I find the analogy of a chocolate chip cookie to be the best description-- the dough serves mainly to hold the chocolate chips! Every time I watched this film (I recorded it from a cable channel) I found myself fast-forwarding to the next dance sequence, and wound up making a recording of just the dance sequences so I could watch them without sitting through the material in between! The acting is adequate, but the story line is sparse and one really does not become engaged by the characters. Still, it is worth watching just to see the dancing, and the variety of pieces makes it enjoyable for folks who are not familiar with dance. I especially love the music, particularly the arrangement of My Funny Valentine for the pas de deux in the rain...beautiful!

No plot, no interesting characters

[deproduction · 3/10 · 14 January 2004]

The Company is more like a documentary about a Ballet Company than it is like a film. Unfortunately, as a documentary filmmaker myself, I feel that much of this film would've ended up on the cutting room floor of a documentary, as most of the scenes were just boring and failed to advance any plot or even really develop the characters. Malcolm McDowell's character is the only one that seems to have any real attention in the script, which was apparently written by Neve Campbell, which should've been a red-flag.

Kudos to Neve Campbell for bringing this together

[zetes · 9/10 · 6 June 2004]

Yet another marvelous, marvelous film from Robert Altman. I hope that he makes a hundred more movies before he leaves us. What really needs to be said about The Company, though, is this: kudos to Neve Campbell! This is certainly an Altman film, but it was Ms. Campbell who organized this whole project and pulled it off. Who knew that this young beauty had merely been slumming the whole time? Her years in awful television drama and slasher flicks paid off. She came up with the story, put up some of the money, and she was the one who convinced Altman to take the job. Not only that, but she comes off as almost too modest with the relatively small role she has in the film. Of course, she's in it more than anyone else, and we get to learn about her life more than anyone else's, but the spotlight is simply on ballet itself. And what a beautiful art it is! The film works like a musical, with ballet numbers popping up throughout the loose narrative. Most are unannounced: these are just some of the performances the company (the Joffrey Ballet Company of Chicago) give throughout their season. The final setpiece (a hallmark of Robert Altman's cinema) is built up to through most of the film. The Company works much like a documentary, a documentary that makes no commentary on its subject. It's all just observation. In many ways, it's not like a regular Altman film, because another of his hallmarks is the swift and thorough characterizations his subjects receive. By the end of Nashville, those 20+ characters are so potent in our minds that the audience could write novels based on them. Not so with this one, where we really only get wisps of the people. It's a subtler approach than Altman's more famous films; it's a grace, I suppose, that fits the subject. We watch the everyday events that occur in the company, the successes and the failures, the fading careers and the beginnings, the egos of the stars and the humbleness of the chorus. The film also follows the characters (this time mostly Neve's) lives after the season is over. Campbell has to work as a bartender in a trendy club. Along the course of the film she meets a handsome young chef played by James Franco. Malcolm McDowell shows the strongest personality in the film, mostly because he's playing the company's head. The kind of humor that is specifically Altman's is not common in The Company, but when it does pop up it's always around McDowell. This is a wonderful film, not to be missed. It's also the rare film that I really wish I could have seen in a theater. Perhaps one day, at a distant Robert Altman retrospective, I will have that opportunity. 9/10.

You'd better be really into dance

[PeachesIR · 7/10 · 12 August 2018]

If you're a devoted fan of ballet or modern dance, you'll enjoy "The Company." Neve Campbell is Ry, a young ballerina and the focal point of the movie, which is an almost documentary-like portrayal of a professional ballet company preparing for and delivering spectacular dance performances in Chicago. Campbell is a former professional dancer, so she brings authenticity to her performance. However, despite the casting of Malcolm McDowell as an authoritarian, acid-tongued company director to provide a potential source of dramatic conflict with Campbell's character, there's very little story or dialogue in the whole film. Some of the dialogue is so quiet and natural that you can't really make it out. Directed by the great Robert Altman, "The Company" focuses mostly on dance performances and grueling practices, with a few cliches thrown in (the dancers' struggles to win roles, please the choreographer and make ends meet financially). It all looks very realistic and beautiful, and the drama is only in the dance. There's a sweet, slight love story for Ry and her equally hard-working chef beau, played by James Franco. So enjoy "The Company" on a quiet evening, glass of wine in hand, if you love to watch good dance performances, but not if you want dialogue or plot. Still, kudos to Neve Campbell for getting such a tasteful, lovely, non-commercial movie made.

No Plot, 3 or 4 good dance numbers, 9 or 10 boring ones.

[jayraskin1 · 1/10 · 3 July 2005]

I have seen some great Altman movies (McCabe and Mrs. Miller), some good Altman movies (The Long Goodbye) and some mediocre Altman movies (Brewster McCloud), but this is the first really bad Altman movie that I have seen.

I was tempted to fast forward through the dance sequences, but I held on, hoping that he would do something interesting with them. In the case of the outdoor rain threatened dance and the last one where a dancer gets hurt, he does, but most of the other sequences fall quite flat.

Everybody has already complained about the lack of plot. It would not have bothered me if the dance sequences had been well edited, but the dance sequences really lack any kind of cinematic style. They seem to have a television director's feel to them, just cutting aimlessly when a shot gets too boring.

I was not impressed by Neve Campbell's dancing. She seemed like a very average dancer, certainly not someone who would be a star or potential star in a major ballet company. In a major dance at the beginning, it seemed that the guy who played Alex was easily out-dancing her. Yet at the end of the scene, she gets the congratulations. Please Neve, do The Craft: Part 2, and forget the dancing.

A movie I bought for my daughter, "Mary and Ashley Kate Olson at the New York City Ballet" was much more enjoyable and I suspect told us more about Ballet life than this movie does. The song "Practice, Practice, Practice" from that is much catchier than anything in this.