The Company a video review by Ryan Ellis May 28, 2005
'The Company' is Robert Altman's barely seen 2003 documentary-like film about ballet. It came & went, completely overlooked because of the blockbuster competition at Christmas that year. I saw a video copy mostly because I'm in the midst of peeking at everything Altman has ever made. After the multi-layered scale of 'Short Cuts' and 'Nashville' and the laid-back charm of 'California Split' and 'M*A*S*H', the veteran director tells this story without his trademark enormous cast and there's even less of a traditional plot than his pictures usually have. It relies almost entirely on visuals. At its best---when it's nearly transcending its own stage---'The Company' could have been a poetic silent movie.
I'm not a connoisseur of the ballet, but no one can deny that these dancers are magnificent athletes. In different ways, the dancers in 'The Company' are as athletically gifted as some of the greatest movie star/athletes (such as one-of-a-kinders like Bruce Lee and Fred Astaire). Using the noted Chicago ballet as co-dancers with the star, Neve Campbell, proves that there need be no digi-magic or actors-on-wires tricks here. Their routines are often spellbinding (especially when they dance on their toes, which is awe-inspiring just to THINK about) and Altman never resorts to fancy camera tricks or over-cutting to spoil our view of what they're doing.
Campbell (as Ry, "the girl who just wants to make it on the big stage in the big city") fits in perfectly with the professional dancers, which feels right because ballet WAS the actress' first love. She had to amp it up and trained like a madwoman to be able to go step-for-step with these titans of the twirl. Her character might just be a dreary cliche if she were not so convincing on the stage with such world-class companions. The plucky upstart role is shoved into half the movies out there, but I liked how Campbell's reality becomes the character. She's basically playing herself. That is, she's the outsider with the talent to keep up with this elite group. Some scenes probably required no acting at all.
James Franco (who plays Harry Osborn in those comic book flicks about the wall-crawler) and Malcolm McDowell are the only other names of note to get major screen time. Franco (as Josh, Ry's boyfriend) has about as much dialogue as Charlie Chaplin, but his character only seems to be there to give the dance-consumed Ry someone to lounge with at home anyway. Their relationship is a small plot element (illustrating how little free time either of them has for a love life), glossed over as she marches to the top of the Chicago dance scene.
McDowell, that old pro, lampoons pompous windbags (and perhaps arrogant film directors) with his portrayal of the man in charge of the Joffrey ballet, Alberto Antonelli. He appears to love his underlings, even if he's hard on them. He wants his dancers to succeed so much that he gets a little crazy sometimes. I can forgive misguided enthusiasm, even if the guy comes off as an asshole. Altman treats him mostly with affection, though, and he's not a monster. Then again, perhaps an actor skilled enough to make us sympathize with the reprehensible Alex in 'A Clockwork Orange' is the one who should be taking the credit.
It's impossible to forget one powerful sequence in 'The Company'. A dancer snaps her Achilles tendon and we know she's finished. All it takes is a single injury in the life of a ballet dancer and a career can end. A dancer on crutches tells more of a story than a three-page monologue ever could. Altman has done this before. In 'Nashville', Gwen Welles loses her big chance to sing in front of a huge crowd. She never leaves the stage during the brilliant finale, and THAT'S what's so affecting. She's a heartbroken nobody in the background (where she'll always remain) and we understand completely. No close-ups, no award-winning speeches, yet that sight has always stayed with me. He's done it again in 'The Company'.
Barbara Turner wrote the screenplay. She's only turned out a half-dozen movie scripts in the past 40 or so years, so it probably takes a real smoothie to get her on-board. Campbell must be a smoothie then because she has story and producer credit in addition to her role as the leading lady. This was Neve's baby from the start. She didn't need Turner to write a masterpiece, just a solid blueprint for Altman to shape into his own personal style.
As is always the case with the now 80-year-old director, this is a film about behaviour. This style of simply observing characters doesn't sell the way it did during Altman's heyday in the '70s, but he wisely refuses to change his M-O for anybody. He knows he won't be rewarded with a bonanza at the box office. Like these artists of the ballet, he's got something to say and that's reason enough to do it. He seems to keep working because he enjoys making movies, no matter how small the financial reward. Since 'The Company' has about 700 producers, this was clearly one of those labours of love for a lot of other people too.
Not even Altman and his trusted collaborators can camouflage the well-worn path that 'The Company' follows. Doesn't matter. This is a romantic (and sexy!) ode to ballet. It allows you to drink in the sight of gifted dancers performing at the highest level, through all the rehearsals and the pain and the suffering and the euphoria. They gave up a life to get there. I'm sure they'd say it was worth it.
To dance all over me, write to ryan222@rogers.com or flickersows@hotmail.com
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