Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Is this really the nearest Hollywood comes to understanding the real world - and the economic 'downturn' ?A bunch of more corporate, unsympathetic characters you could not hope to imagine but they are all forced to embark on a voyage of discovery by heartless, cost-cutting conglomerates who have the audacity to fire executives further up the chain. Chris Cooper (normally brilliant) discovers that more elderly people may struggle to find employment in the workplace whilst Ben Affleck (not normally brilliant) is made to realise that people wear gloves at work, have to carry heavy things and don't even go out to lunch on their breaks. Tommy Lee Jones just looks surly and grouches a lot... though his millions of dollars of shares increase in value, thank goodness.The huge house and top-of-the-range German cars are on the line though as times get truly 'slightly uncomfortable' but thankfully it's Afflecks' sons' X-Box that goes first and the awful step down to manual labour doesn't seem so bad when you can master the wielding of a nail-gun in five minutes flat.Corporate America is often an ugly thing, and this trite, patronising offering is no exception. It is almost nauseating in its' attempt to extract some sort of audience feeling for these greedy, grasping corporate 'executives'.Who cares ?

(46%) A movie looking at wealthier folk dealing with unemployment and money problems that only really half works, as showing such issues based around high-earners is somewhat unique, but at the same time many more people have gone through much, much worse leading to some of the scenes feeling a bit too bitter to swallow. The fact that Afleck's character battles to get back into a top job and has to settle for a while as a construction hand is a luxury many would have prayed for. And any sympathy for Chris Cooper's character losing his well paid job after many decades in a world of two year maximum contracts has to be forced out I'm afraid. Overall this is a fairly decent drama with a better cast than the film itself.

What a crock! The Tommy Lee Jones character is super wealthy and the Chris Cooper character should have loads of money saved up. Even the Affleck guy being a sensible MBA would have put away loads in 14 years.Most of the movie is only within 4-6 months of them losing their jobs. The Cooper character can't pay his daughter's tuition after working for 35 years and being at a high level? It's so bad that he has no hope? I can see where the Affleck guy would have to cut back on expenses, because a lot of guys in his salary/benefits range overextend themselves, but it wouldn't be drastic right away.Also,the economy was the bad guy, not the company itself. Or is this all about one CEO making a bundle? The people were given generous severance packages and career counseling services.I don't even get the movie. I suppose the message is that big corporations are good when you work for them and make a bunch of money, but they are evil when they lay you off. Dry Wall guys who work with their hands and drink beers after work are spiritually holier than business executives? There was no character development of the CEO and very little of the other folks. Jones was an adulterer and kind of aggressive and rude. But suddenly he's an idealist? Affleck's guy seemed pretty shallow throughout, although he redeemed himself by helping a black guy find work.I know that this was supposed to be some kind of profound statement about wealth inequality or the value of hands-on labor or the working class. But it didn't make the case very well. I was left wondering what the hell the point was. They had good jobs, the economy went south, and they lost the good jobs. They weren't protesting anything before they were let go.I did enjoy the general scenery, and Affleck does have an appealing way about him on screen. Jones is the same guy in every movie.If you watch it, keep your guard up and try to figure out what the heck the writer is trying to say, other than the basic "Occupy" manifesto.

The Company Men is a fantastic movie with an ensemble cast. I usually do not like ensemble cast movies to this degree unless they are executed properly. This is an example of a movie that has an ensemble cast that doesn't try to overdo it. Love Actually is a movie that I would say tries to have too many things going on at once. The Company Men highlights each character for enough time to allow for an emotional attachment to each of them. The Company Men would have been a 9 / 10 for me had the story been about one of the characters involved in this film. Each one of them is good enough to carry this movie alone. That is a testament to just how good each character is even though they are all given such limited screen time. The movie had me wanting more when I was finished which is another reason it was great. My only flaw other than wanting more of one particular character was that they mention years and date the movie as a result. I would recommend this film to anyone in the mood to watch an excellent group of actors totally in their element every second they are on screen. I'm just sad I was not aware of this movie until today. I'm glad to have experienced this wonderful story.