First off, THE COMPANY YOU KEEP is by no means a "thriller." There is nothing in the way of fast action, not a shred of violence, no harrowing chase scenes, etc. The pacing throughout is slow yet steady. The first three-quarters of the film are simultaneously engagingly and ho-hum. I kept hoping that it would somehow pay off, and it does: The subtle threads come together, and there are some true surprises. By "true," I do not mean anything earth-shattering, just, well, truly surprising. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP quietly touches on a lot of themes, but in the end it's more about the camaraderie (as well as suspicion) that endures between old friends/conspirators than it is about what's happening with all of them in the here and now.
Redford gives a nice performance as Jim Grant/Nick Sloan, but Shia LaBeouf steals the show as idiosyncratic reporter Ben Shepard. Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Brendan Gleeson,and most of the rest of the cast under-act; still, the under-acting is oddly effective and in keeping with the other minimalistic elements of this film.
Several plot holes and too-easies that will hopefully not be too ruinous if you are willing and able to suspend disbelief. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP might also have been enhanced by more in the way of flashback(s)to the big event back in the '70s that brought about everything that's happening in the present.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP may leave you wondering who the real criminals, both within the film and elsewhere, are. I've never seen anything quite like this, and I'm not sure why I like it as much as I do (but I do).
TIP: Younger audiences--or anyone without an interest in the Vietnam years--are likely to be bored by this film.
Redford gives a nice performance as Jim Grant/Nick Sloan, but Shia LaBeouf steals the show as idiosyncratic reporter Ben Shepard. Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Brendan Gleeson,and most of the rest of the cast under-act; still, the under-acting is oddly effective and in keeping with the other minimalistic elements of this film.
Several plot holes and too-easies that will hopefully not be too ruinous if you are willing and able to suspend disbelief. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP might also have been enhanced by more in the way of flashback(s)to the big event back in the '70s that brought about everything that's happening in the present.
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP may leave you wondering who the real criminals, both within the film and elsewhere, are. I've never seen anything quite like this, and I'm not sure why I like it as much as I do (but I do).
TIP: Younger audiences--or anyone without an interest in the Vietnam years--are likely to be bored by this film.