Review: The Company You Keep

A fictionalised story surrounding members of The Weather Underground domestic terrorist group. Decades ago, members of the group committed a bank robbery that resulted in the death of a security guard. Now after 30 years in hiding as a suburban housewife, former WU member Susan Sarandon has been arrested (on her way to turning herself in anyway). She refuses to rat on any of her former colleagues though, much to the annoyance of the Feds, led by Terrence Howard. A friend and former colleague (Stephen Root) attempts to hire small-town lawyer Robert Redford to help Sarandon. Redford (too old for the part, but try telling the director that!), a former WU member himself with a young daughter (Jackie Evancho) wants nothing to disturb the life he has set up for himself and his little girl. He’s more than happy to provide the details of other just as capable attorneys, though. Enter nosy reporter Shia La Beouf, who is looking to make his mark and impress his boss. Through some digging, La Beouf figures out Redford’s real identity and calls him up out of the blue. Still wanted for murder and robbery after all these years, once Redford realises that his identity has been uncovered, he decides to go on the lam. He passes off his young daughter to his estranged brother Chris Cooper, while he goes in search of the one WU member who can clear his name. Richard Jenkins is a college professor and former activist who resents the more radical tactics of the WU, Nick Nolte is Redford’s former best friend, Julie Christie is elusive WU radical Mimi who is still involved with crime via the marijuana trade, Brendan Gleeson plays a former cop who investigated the robbery, with Brit Marling as Gleeson’s adopted daughter. Anna Kendrick plays a former acquaintance of La Beouf’s, who now works under Howard at the FBI, Sam Elliott plays a lover of Mimi’s up in Big Sur, and Stanley Tucci plays La Beouf’s boss.

 

Extremely underrated thriller from 2013 directed by Robert Redford (“Ordinary People”, “Quiz Show”, “Lions for Lambs”) and scripted by Lem Dobbs (“Dark City”, “The Score”) is like a mixture of “Spy Game” (starring Redford) and Sidney Lumet’s popular “Running on Empty” but better than both. There’s also a lot of Bill Ayers and The Weather Underground weaved into its fabric. The film has a staggering all-star cast, and although most of them get mere cameos, each and every one of the heavyweight actors makes their minutes count and paint vivid portrayals. Call it the “JFK” approach, as Redford provides a solid centre, with lots of great character work particularly by a pitch-perfect Susan Sarandon (just watch her scene with La Beouf, she’s in peak form), Chris Cooper (vivid as the estranged brother), Richard Jenkins, Brendan Gleeson (who does a helluva lot with just his face here), and even the slightly lesser-known (but prolific) Stephen Root has a great bit as a bitter and cagey piece of the puzzle. Stanley Tucci also deserves credit for taking the clichéd newspaper editor role and giving it some colour despite scant screen time. Although I don’t quite buy her as an avid sailor Julie Christie is otherwise a great choice for a pivotal role. Honestly, the only others I can think of who could’ve played her part are Jane Fonda, Dame Helen Mirren, or perhaps Charlotte Rampling. Even the likes of Sam Elliott and a borderline grizzly bear Nick Nolte don’t phone it in despite not really getting much to do on paper. Nolte sure does look and sound like hell, though it suits the role of a guy who has gone through a lot over the years and has a lot on his conscience he’s had to live with. Elliott keeps your interest just by being Sam Fuckin’ Elliott.

 

In larger roles Shia La Beouf does some of his best work as the dogged reporter, perhaps he might even remind you of a young and abrasive Dustin Hoffman. Young Jackie Evancho (now a singer) shows that she actually might’ve made for a really good actress had she chosen that path. She’s terrific and charming. Some might say Anna Kendrick is miscast as a federal agent here, but honestly that’s just because she’s so tiny and adorkable. She’s perfectly fine in the role and works well off La Beouf. Brit Marling is a bit wooden in a fairly crucial role, but otherwise there’s not a dud performer here.

 

An enthralling domestic terrorism thriller/manhunt movie, with a bunch of standout performances by top stars/actors that any other film would be lucky to have just one of. I actually think it’s Redford’s best film as director to date, with all due respect to the fine “Ordinary People”. One of my favourite films of its decade for sure, I might be on a lonely island of my own here but it’s neither the first nor likely last time for such a thing. Based on a Neil Gordon novel of the same name.

 

Rating: B+