‘Company of Men’ hate-filled> Misogynistic movie makes people think

“In the Company of Men”

Written and directed by Neil LaBute. Running time: 93 minutes. Rated R (for language, adult content and emotional abuse). Sept. 22-Oct. 2 at the Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville.

Neil LaBute’s controversial first film, “In the Company of Men,” is 93 minutes of unflagging misogyny. It is meant to shock, to anger and to get people talking by raising their eyebrows along with their blood pressures. In our jaded society, this is no easy task, but LaBute succeeds with unabashed glee and bravado.

Still, is it worth seeing?

The film opens with two corporate men waiting in an airport lounge for a connecting flight to a six-week assignment somewhere in the Midwest. The better looking of the two is Chad (Aaron Eckhart). Tall and handsome, thick-jawed and cleft-chinned, he exudes a cocky, frat boy masculinity that is almost bullish in its intensity. In the arrogant way he smokes, in his sneering confidence, he instills in us an immediate sense of distrust. We’ve all seen this man before — and know that he can be dangerous.

Howard (Matt Malloy) is an altogether different vat of poison. Smaller and balding, thin-lipped and mole-like, he is a pathetic, weak and homely man who has been wooed by Chad’s substantial charm. Thus, we are not surprised to find him nodding in mumbling acquiescence when Chad offers an outrageous plot to seek revenge on womankind. While they are away on assignment, Chad suggests they find a defenseless woman, take turns drawing her into their separate webs of love and deception, and then dump her — brutally, viciously — just as they have been dumped by women in the past. “Let’s hurt somebody,” Chad says to Howard, who hesitates, but eventually agrees, and the chase is on.

Almost immediately, they find their victim in Christine (Stacy Edwards), a beautiful, gentle secretary who works for their company and happens to be deaf. Christine falls for their ploy and soon is dating both men, who send her flowers and treat her wonderfully — until they crush her in two blistering scenes that are difficult to watch.

“In the Company of Men” was the winner of the Film Maker’s Trophy for the best dramatic feature at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. But while the film creates a closed world of Machiavellian manipulation and victimization, it seems to have wowed critics because of its shocking, in-your-face dialogue and stance against anything politically correct, not because it is great filmmaking. LaBute tries to create the nihilistic world of David Mamet, but falls short because he is not as gifted a writer, nor that interesting a director.

Still, you should see the film. LaBute gets strong performances from his actors (Edwards’ subtle performance is brilliant), and his cold, cynical material makes for a lively conversation at film’s end. This is one of the few films in recent memory that, while repellent to watch, cannot be dismissed in the time it takes to reach your car, turn on the engine and pull away from the theater. Indeed, you will be thinking about it long afterward.

Grade: B

Video of the Week “Bound”

Written and directed by the Wachowski Brothers. Running time: 109 minutes. Rated R (for violence, language, nudity and strong adult content).

As gripping as Barbet Schroeder’s “Single White Female,” and as visually sophisticated as Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Get Shorty,” the Wachowski Brothers’ “Bound” seizes you by the throat and refuses to let go until the last bullet is fired, the last mobster falls and the credits start to roll.

It is the best thriller I have seen since 1992’s “The Crying Game.” An outstanding piece of filmmaking, it should have been the smash hit of 1996, but wasn’t because, unfortunately, audiences are increasingly more interested in viewing shlock than they are in seeing intelligent, well-written and provocative films.

“Bound” stars Jennifer Tilly as Violet, a mobster’s girlfriend who meets and falls in love with Corky (“Showgirls” Gina Gershon), an ex-con who is so tough, so butch, you sense she is fueled solely by unpeeled potatoes boiled in motor oil and fatty steaks fried in testosterone. The pair hit it off and soon are plotting to steal $2 million from Violet’s mafia boyfriend Caesar (Joe Palatino). Big mistake. As their simple plan spins wildly out of control, you find yourself leaning increasingly forward in your seat as doubts rise within you that anyone in this breathtaking film will come out alive.

Grade: A

Christopher Smith, a writer and critic who lives in Brewer, reviews movies each Monday in the NEWS.