The Company You Keep is the new film by Robert Redford, director of A River Runs Through It, Quiz Show and the recent, Conspirator. This new film is a good fit for Redford (who also stars), having made his name with other politically-conscious movies (All the Presidents Men and Three Days of the Condor).
Redford would be no stranger to the plight of the Weathermen - a group of young activists intent on bringing the government to it's knees over their involvement in the Vietnam war.
Violent in their actions, the Weathermen were successful in their campaign until the robbery of a Michigan bank in 1980 (the actual robbery was that of an armed car in New York, the following year), which turned sour. A guard was shot dead by one of the group, ending their reign of terror and leaving each member a fugitive of the state.
These facts are presented to us in a pre-credit sequence, allowing the rest of the film to take place in the present day.
With a lifetime to dwell on their actions, many of the former activists went underground, forging new identities and finding the means to pass on their beliefs and ideals through more passive acts, such as education and law.
After 33 years, one of the group (Susan Sarandon) feels it's time to atone for her sins and offers herself up to the F.B.I. So begins a house of cards, as connections are made to each of the former Weathermen - principally by a hot-headed young reporter (Shia LaBeouf).
Robert Redford plays Jim Grant, one such former activist. A widowed father, Grant has a young daughter to his name (many former Weathermen have families and deeply rooted attachments now). Grant decides to track down his former comrades in the hope of finding the still elusive (and somewhat active) Mimi Lurie (Julie Christie), in the hope of clearing his name and returning to his daughter.
Redford has assembled a great cast for this film - particularly in the long since retired Weathermen. Many are contemporaries of Redford, who set alight the cinema of the 70's and 80's. From Nick Nolte to Susan Sarandon, these actors continue to bring class and gravitas to the cinema today - and this film continues to highlight their individual expertise.
The only character I didn't quite buy was Julie Christie's, Mimi. As a seventy-something freedom fighter, Christie has the toughest role. Despite her efforts, it's hard to get past the glamorous, movie-star exterior.
The first half of this film is excellent! Through Grant and his former comrades, we learn how ultraism inevitably leads to casualty, how much can be achieved through knowledge and communication alone and how, as we inevitably age and bring children in to the world, we reassign importance . These grandiose themes are replaced with a more personal story towards the end of the movie.
Regardless, The Company You Keep is never less than captivating and thought provoking.
4/5
Poster image courtesy: ca.eonefilms.com
Redford would be no stranger to the plight of the Weathermen - a group of young activists intent on bringing the government to it's knees over their involvement in the Vietnam war.
Violent in their actions, the Weathermen were successful in their campaign until the robbery of a Michigan bank in 1980 (the actual robbery was that of an armed car in New York, the following year), which turned sour. A guard was shot dead by one of the group, ending their reign of terror and leaving each member a fugitive of the state.
These facts are presented to us in a pre-credit sequence, allowing the rest of the film to take place in the present day.
With a lifetime to dwell on their actions, many of the former activists went underground, forging new identities and finding the means to pass on their beliefs and ideals through more passive acts, such as education and law.
After 33 years, one of the group (Susan Sarandon) feels it's time to atone for her sins and offers herself up to the F.B.I. So begins a house of cards, as connections are made to each of the former Weathermen - principally by a hot-headed young reporter (Shia LaBeouf).
Robert Redford plays Jim Grant, one such former activist. A widowed father, Grant has a young daughter to his name (many former Weathermen have families and deeply rooted attachments now). Grant decides to track down his former comrades in the hope of finding the still elusive (and somewhat active) Mimi Lurie (Julie Christie), in the hope of clearing his name and returning to his daughter.
Redford has assembled a great cast for this film - particularly in the long since retired Weathermen. Many are contemporaries of Redford, who set alight the cinema of the 70's and 80's. From Nick Nolte to Susan Sarandon, these actors continue to bring class and gravitas to the cinema today - and this film continues to highlight their individual expertise.
The only character I didn't quite buy was Julie Christie's, Mimi. As a seventy-something freedom fighter, Christie has the toughest role. Despite her efforts, it's hard to get past the glamorous, movie-star exterior.
The first half of this film is excellent! Through Grant and his former comrades, we learn how ultraism inevitably leads to casualty, how much can be achieved through knowledge and communication alone and how, as we inevitably age and bring children in to the world, we reassign importance . These grandiose themes are replaced with a more personal story towards the end of the movie.
Regardless, The Company You Keep is never less than captivating and thought provoking.
4/5
Poster image courtesy: ca.eonefilms.com
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