Review: The Company (***)

THE COMPANY
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ***


In THE COMPANY, director Robert Altman (GOSFORD PARK) lets us eavesdrop on a
ballet company, the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, as they perform, practice and
play. Told in almost docudrama fashion, the fictional film is worth seeing
for the phenomenal ballet numbers alone. Even the silliest looking ballet
in rehearsal turns out to be absolutely spectacular once on stage.



Former ballet dancer and now actor Neve Campbell, who is one of the film's
stars, had the original idea for the movie. As Loretta "Ry" Ryan, Campbell
plays one of the many lead dancers in the company.



The most memorable performance in the film is given by Malcolm McDowell, who
plays Alberto Antonelli, the company's finicky artistic director. Mr. A.,
who, with equal measures of love and condescension, always addresses the
members of his troop as "babies," is a control freak and a schmoozer. He
has lots of advice for his dancers ("Remember -- fresh broccoli salad, no
more chili con carne.") and for his choreographers ("Three things to
remember -- budget, budget, budget.")



Barbara Turner's screenplay eschews narrative and just drops us into the
middle of dozens of little stories, one for almost every dancer and member
of the crew. Most of all, however, she provides plenty of opportunity for
the Joffrey ballet dancers to show what they can do. The result is a
thoroughly enjoyable time at the movies as the images wash over you like
warm ocean waves. And, if you've never thought of ballet as being a little
erotic, THE COMPANY will fix that.



THE COMPANY runs 1:52. It is rated PG-13 for "brief strong language, some
nudity and sexual content" and would be acceptable for kids around 12 and
up.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, January 16, 2004.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

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************************************************** *********************



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Interesting. My husband and I took our 14 year old dancer to
see this movie, she had read about it in her "Dance Spirit"
magazine. My husband and I found the movie boring,
mostly because there was no plot, and the character development
jumped around so much, and the dancers looked so much
the same, you had trouble telling which story went with
which dancer. But heck, I'm not that much into dance, so
I asked my daughter, her thoughts: "There was no plot! At
all!" Despite loving every other dance movie that has ever
come out, from "Singing in the Rain" to "The Last Dance"
(And even the cheer movie "Bring it On") she said she wouldn't
recommend this one to her dance friends, and even recommend
against it when it comes to the SF Bay area. (We saw it over
the holidays, in LA.)

But as my husband said, "It's like a Fellini dance movie."

And I did like the dance numbers when they were actual
performances, but then, I should just go see the Joffery
Ballet.

"Steve Rhodes" wrote in message
k.net...
THE COMPANY
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2004 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ***


In THE COMPANY, director Robert Altman (GOSFORD PARK) lets us eavesdrop on
a
ballet company, the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, as they perform, practice
and
play. Told in almost docudrama fashion, the fictional film is worth
seeing
for the phenomenal ballet numbers alone. Even the silliest looking ballet
in rehearsal turns out to be absolutely spectacular once on stage.



Former ballet dancer and now actor Neve Campbell, who is one of the film's
stars, had the original idea for the movie. As Loretta "Ry" Ryan,
Campbell
plays one of the many lead dancers in the company.



The most memorable performance in the film is given by Malcolm McDowell,
who
plays Alberto Antonelli, the company's finicky artistic director. Mr. A.,
who, with equal measures of love and condescension, always addresses the
members of his troop as "babies," is a control freak and a schmoozer. He
has lots of advice for his dancers ("Remember -- fresh broccoli salad, no
more chili con carne.") and for his choreographers ("Three things to
remember -- budget, budget, budget.")



Barbara Turner's screenplay eschews narrative and just drops us into the
middle of dozens of little stories, one for almost every dancer and member
of the crew. Most of all, however, she provides plenty of opportunity for
the Joffrey ballet dancers to show what they can do. The result is a
thoroughly enjoyable time at the movies as the images wash over you like
warm ocean waves. And, if you've never thought of ballet as being a
little
erotic, THE COMPANY will fix that.



THE COMPANY runs 1:52. It is rated PG-13 for "brief strong language, some
nudity and sexual content" and would be acceptable for kids around 12 and
up.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, January 16,
2004.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

Email:



************************************************** *********************



Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?

Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.