Outside the Company

The demise of the American shipbuilding industry spells the demise of the careers of three men – The Company Men - all long-timers with the $ 11 bn turnover GTX. Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck), regional head of sales, is perhaps the most affected. More than letting go of what he once considered life’s essentials, it is letting go of one’s pride what hurts Bobby the most. Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) rose from the shop-floor to become one of the seniormost executives of GTX. Pushing 60 and not in the best of health, a fresh job search is likely to be the toughest on him. Gene Mc Clary (Tommy Lee Jones), an ex board member with millions in stock upon severance, has enough going for him to not feel the pinch economically, but has an uncertain future nevertheless. Jack Dolan (Kevin Costner) is doing all that he can to keep the company afloat. With consequences ranging from the tragic to those that promise hope for the future, the movie is a timely one that focuses on the psychological impact of unemployment

13.5/20

No Way Out

Is there a way out of a lifetime of crime? Not in Charlestown, Boston, it appears. DougMacRay (Ben Affleck), longtime crook, leads a successful heist on a local bank, and then another, in The Town. But, life gets complicated as Doug gets romantically involved with one former heist hostage - bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall). An uncertain relationship with an imprisoned father who never quite reveals the truth about why his mother left, and then the ghost of old relationships with people with whom he would rather not associate with any longer, further complicate Doug’s existence. In the meantime, the FBI have their quarry, but continually want for evidence. Unremarkable fare albeit well-executed, with fairly standard treatment of the subject matter

12/20