Review: In Good Company

In Good Company

Smug looking pale young guy? Meet disgruntled greying middle aged man..


We all remember the commercials, movie posters and soundbytes that entailed the promotion of this movie when it first came out. Topher Grace, the lanky symbol of teenage angst that you've all grown to love from his "brilliant" work on That 70's Show, assumes the role of the corporate asshole who ends up becoming the boss of Dennis Quaid. Incidentally, the former department head, Quaid, is almost twice Grace's age. For those who weren't paying attention, that would be "irony".

A quick aside...Dennis Quaid, is it me, or did this guy just blow up out of nowhere recently? At this given period in time, he has three movies running on HBO in which he has a major role. The Day After Tommorrow, Flight of the Phoenix and the aforementioned In Good Company. A final deviation from the main topic at hand, Topher Grace sounds like a candy bar.

As if having a boss who is almost half your age isn't enough, Quaid's older daughter, portrayed by the ever-attractive Scarlett Johansson is thrown into the cauldron for a healthly dose of behind Daddy's back romance. It should be noted that the exuberant Miss Johansson has a deep, manly voice, and less than 5 films prior to this, was ugly in The Girl with the Pearl Earring.

Let's stay on track though...if you recall the promotion campaign for this film, the emphasis and selling point of this movie was the taboo romance between the half aged boss and the ousted former boss' daughter. Surprisingly though, this is not the direction which the film focuses its efforts. This, in my opinion, is a rather refreshing approach. A movie going with something other than the obvious choice, imagine that.

If you do in fact choose to give In Good Company a chance, you'll be surprised to find that rather than a romantic date-flick, it's actually a thought-provoking look into the ruthlessness inherent in corporate takeovers. In fact, when the final credits rolled by, I felt a sense of somberness rather than the warmth that I had expected to be bathed in. I felt that the bold direction the movie takes pays off in dividends, and allows for In Good Company to be a conversational piece. Don't be fooled, this movie is deeper than it initially appears. At times, you can't help but feel a bit sorry for the characters, who, somewhere along the line, lost the freedom to truly be themselves. The underlying theme of the movie is obviously cycles; beginnings, ends and beginnings again. You'll know what I mean if you watch it. Keep an eye for the scene in the Porsche!


out of 5 Riddicks.

Worth a rent!