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The Company (film)
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Wikipedia article
'The Company' is a 2003 American drama film directed by Robert Altman with a screenplay by Barbara Turner from a story by Turner and star and co-producer Neve Campbell. The film also stars Malcolm McDowell and James Franco, and is set in the company of the Joffrey Ballet.
Plot
'The Company' is composed of stories gathered from the dancers, choreographers, and staff of the Joffrey Ballet. Most of the roles are played by company members. While a small subplot relates a love story between Campbell's character and a character played by James Franco, most of the movie focuses on the company as a whole, without any real star or linear plot. The many company stories woven together express the dedication and hard work that dancers must put into their art, although they are seldom rewarded with fame or fortune.
Cast
* Neve Campbell as Loretta 'Ry' Ryan
* Malcolm McDowell as Alberto Antonelli
* James Franco as Josh Williams
The part of Alberto Antonelli was reportedly inspired by the real life dancer and choreographer Gerald Arpino.
Production
Development
'The Company' was an idea of Campbell's for a long timeshe began her career as a ballet dancer, having been a student at Canada's National Ballet School. Altman was initially reluctant to direct the film, reportedly remarking, "Barbara, I read your script and I don't get it. I don't understand. I don't know what it is. I'm just the wrong guy for this." The director eventually relented, and 'The Company' turned out to be his penultimate film. Neve Campbell and James Franco prepared for their roles as restaurant workers by training under Mickal Blais, the chef of 'Marche', an upscale bistro in Chicago.[http://www.chefmickaelblais.com/about-micka%C3%ABl.html About Mickal Blais]Molly Woulfe for NWI Times, November 22, 2002 [http://www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/pirate-flicks-still-shiver-his-timbers/article_503e39fe-b1b3-53fa-a2d9-45c9e2e0bfce.html Pirate flicks still shiver his timbers]Dance lighting
Dance lighting for the Joffrey Ballet portions was composed by the dance lighting designer Kevin Dreyer.Pieces in the film
Excerpts of the following dance pieces are included in the film:* Alwin Nikolais's "Tensile Involvement" (opening piece, with ensemble bound by elastic)Leland Windreich for Ballet-Dance Magazine, January 2004 [http://www.ballet-dance.com/200402/articles/companymovie2.html 'The Company': Fleeting Events in a Dancer's World]Mary Ellen Hunt for Ballet-Dance Magazine, January, 2004 [http://www.criticaldance.com/magazine/200402/articles/companymovie.html 'The Company': Altman's take on the Joffrey is artsy, not artistic]
* Gerald Arpino's "Light Rain", "Suite Saint-Sans", and "Trinity"
* Moses Pendleton's "White Widow" (dance with the swing)
* Robert Desrosiers's "The Blue Snake"
* Arthur Saint-Leon's "La Vivandire" (excerpt from Pas de Six)
* Lar Lubovitch's "My Funny Valentine" (pas de deux; the performance in the thunderstorm)
* Laura Dean's "Creative Force" (Campbell's flashback; the excerpt for 10 dancers in red costumes)[http://www.sonyclassics.com/thecompany/theCompany.pdf Office credits for The Company]
Reception
Box office
'The Company' was given a limited release on December 25, 2003, earning $93,776 in eleven theaters over its opening weekend. The film ultimately grossed $2,283,914 in North America and $4,117,776 in foreign markets, bringing its worldwide box office total to $6,401,690well below its estimated $15 million budget.Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a 71% rating based on reviews from 134 critics. The site's consensus states: "Its deliberately unfocused narrative may frustrate some viewers, but 'The Company' finds Altman gracefully applying his distinctive eye to the world of dance." On Metacritic it has a score of 73% based on reviews from 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".Roger Ebert of the 'Chicago Sun-Times' praised the film, awarding it stars out of four. Ed Gonzalez of 'Slant Magazine' similarly declared it the best movie of 2003. Elvis Mitchell of 'The New York Times' called the film "enjoyably lithe and droll" and attributed a "great deal of the film's appeal" to McDowell's performance, while opining that the film "doesn't stick with you as a whole."
References
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