Moviola > Films > The Company

The Company  (12A)   112 mins

An inside look at the world of ballet from director Robert Altman (Gosford Park) and starring Neve Campbell, Malcolm McDowell and James Franco.  With the complete co-operation of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Altman follows the stories of the dancers, whose professional and personal lives grow impossibly close, as they cope with the demands of a life in the ballet.  Campbell plays a gifted but conflicted company member on the verge of becoming a principal dancer at a fictional Chicago troupe, with McDowell as the company's co-founder an artistic director, considered one of America's most exciting choreographers.  Franco plays Campbell's boyfriend and one of the few characters not involved in the world of dance.  The film works like a musical, with ballet numbers popping up throughout the loose narrative.  Most are unannounced: these are just some of the performances the Joffrey Ballet give throughout their season.  The final setpiece (a hallmark of Robert Altman's cinema) is built up to through most of the film.  This is a wonderful film, not to be missed.

www.sonyclassics.com/thecompany

Last modified: 20-Jun-2008

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