In the Company of Men (1997) contains no bloody scenes of violence with high-powered weapons, no rapes or sexual assaults, and no murders. And yet, this is a tough film to watch for many people because of the intense psychological warfare taking place, especially considering the entire project was filmed for such a small sum in writer/director Neil LaBute’s debut. One of the main characters, Chad, is a ruthless sociopath who is smart enough to play by the letter of the law and not commit any overtly criminal acts, even if he breaks the most basic codes of morality with reckless abandon along the way.
The film centers around two businessmen, Chad and Howard, who hit the road for several weeks working on a project. Chad lures Howard into a trap by proposing that they seek revenge on females as a whole by targeting a vulnerable sucker and destroying her psychologically and emotionally. In reality, this is a ruthless gambit for Chad to advance up the corporate ladder. If that plot sounds harsh, believe me when I tell you it does not do the film justice. If it were not for the fact that L.A. Confidential was released during the same year, this film would be hands-down the best of 1997 due to its originality and character development.
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In the Company of Men, indeud. (No homo)
Saw “Margin Call” last evening…Unimpressed. Could have been so much better. My pulse did not go above 40 BPM. No character developement.