The Company Men

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A multi-million dollar company lays off 1000s of people to please their rich board without touching their own higher-ups' multi-million dollar bonuses. This is the story of what happens to some of the people who are made redundant to protect their fortunes.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Eamonn Walker

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This movie is so depressing that any ending these characters might arrive at would feel happy... including death.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It's kind of funny how much this movie made me want to take my own life.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, it doesn't even let you do that! There really is no hope. Why do I even keep going?

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Just in case voters feel obliged to fulfill their "fairness" responsibilities by watching this film, despite my warnings, here is the number for the suicide hotline: 1-800-273-TALK.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Many of the Boston accents are distractingly inconsistent, often sounding more like they're from Long Island. Also, when Ben Affleck first arrives at the unemployment placement center, there is a large Black man (Eamonn Walker) who instantly notices him, and looks at him throughout the film like he's planning to seduce the hell out of him. The weird thing is he doesn't. That's like introducing a gay gun in the first act, and not shooting it in the third act! You can't do that! Since the gay innuendo turns out to be unintended, I'm forced to deduce that it's simply bad acting.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Boring directing tries to redeem itself with an overbearing score and soundtrack.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: My friend Lisa is one of those people who is very careful about how she phrases things, often avoiding saying anything negative or controversial, but when this movie ended, she went on a tirade about how it was redundant, pedantic, and trivializes what all the laid-off people in America must actually be going through. Personally, I thought it was a decent enough movie, but I couldn't send anyone to go see it, unless I was trying to convince them that life just isn't worth it, and they should take action against themselves immediately. Which actually gives this movie a huge upside, because it would be cheaper than taking a contract out on my enemies, and in these hard times, any penny pinched is a penny saved!

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Speaking of not giving up on things that are pointless, this is our 400th review! Just my luck that it would be a red light... where did I put that suicide hotline number again?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-company-men/1429932/trailers

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Step Brothers

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of 40-year-olds (Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly), who act like they're 12-year-olds, and still live at home, are forced to endure each other when their respective single parents get married.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Katheryn Hahn, Andrea Savage, Rob Riggle

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Just suspend your disbelief and let the stupidity and ridiculousness of this broad comedy carry you to those rolling hills of laughter.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you like jokes that are dirty.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but there is a close up of Will Ferrell's nut sack. A long one. Yes, both.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Is there a Best Hug category?

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The actors put deep commitment into every implausible moment in this absurd scenario. We've seen Ferrell and Reilly do this a million times, but it's Richard Jenkins and Mary Steenburgen, playing the parents, whose interesting character choices bring an element of originality to the screen.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The relational perspective of the juxtaposition of the characters is disorienting in a few scenes-- much like this sentence. In other words, the director sometimes cuts from wide shots, where the characters are standing extremely far away from each other, to close-ups and over the shoulder shots, that make them appear to be in each other's faces. I can't imagine this was done on purpose.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Not in any way genius, but it's a vast improvement on the last several Will Ferrell-Adam McKay collaborations. For one thing, this time it seems like they may have used an actual screenplay as the basis for the film. Yeah, the kind someone writes down and hands out to the cast and crew before filming begins. I know, it's a crazy concept.

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