The Company

Buy This Item The Company by Sony Pictures  Available from Amazon  $9.99  on 11-16-2008     An elegant portrait of artists in the act of creation, <I>The Company</I> is also a ballet lover's dream come true. While this intimate study of the onstage and backstage world of dance may appeal to a limited audience with its casually plotless structure, it's still a unique, accomplished film by one of the greatest American directors. As critic Roger Ebert observed, Robert Altman's film is also an autobiographical reflection of Altman's working methods, in which an ensemble (in this case, Neve Campbell and the dancers of Chicago's celebrated Joffrey Ballet Company) is casually choreographed in an atmosphere of spontaneity that's both dramatically charged and effortlessly authentic. A classically trained dancer, Campbell also coproduced the film, and stars with James Franco (as her easygoing boyfriend) and Malcolm McDowell as the Joffrey's delightfully diva-like artistic director. Featuring stellar performances of the Joffrey's best-known dances, this soothing, hypnotic film is devoid of conventional dialogue, and yet Barbara Turner's screenplay provides a precise roadmap for Altman's masterful choreography of dance, music, and human interaction. <I>--Jeff Shannon</I> Reader Reviews This movie is an entertaining look behind the scenes of a renowned dance company. It's quite realistic but stops short of documentary. The characters are interesting, but the focus of the movie is the ballet. Several lengthy performance sequences are a true delight to any fan of ballet, however non-fans will find them boooooring.

The Company Available from Amazon Price: $9.99 Updated on 11-16-2008.

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