Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is one of the best salesmen for an East coast-based multinational corporation who's climbing the corporate ladder. When tough times rock the company, he finds himself one of the casualties of the layoffs and must make adjustments to his lifestyle in order to make ends meet.

Writer/Director John Wells wanted to make this film after the dot-com bust earlier this century but couldn't get the project underway. After the recent downturn in the economy he was able to adjust the script and delivers a fantastic drama about how a layoff can ruin your life. The all-star cast includes Chris Cooper and Kevin Costner, although my favorite character in the film is Tommy Lee Jones who plays the executive with a conscience.

Video Highlights

• AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Exquisite detail
• Realistic color palette
• Stable blacks with inviting shadow detail

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Dialog-heavy track
• Minimal use of the surround speakers
• Intelligible dialog

The video encode is outstanding with picture-perfect detail and inviting shadows, although the audio track is nothing to write home about.

Bonus Materials

• Audio commentary with writer/director John Wells
• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• Making The Company Men featurette

I've spent most of my adult life working in Corporate America and can relate to many of the situations depicted in the film. While I'm a free market capitalist at heart, I'm not so blind to see how exorbitant executive salaries and stock options have made the people at the top make poor long-term decisions in order to cash out their millions without thinking of how they're ruining the country one layoff at a time. Highly recommended.

Release Date: June 7, 2011
Studio: Anchor Bay

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 10/10
Sound: 7/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics