Best movie of this year hands down!

A different way of telling a story

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

(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.

I'm reviewing this movie because I experienced redundancy recently but was lucky enough to be able to retire. Those who haven't been so lucky may find it painful viewing as I thought it really got to grips with reality. In fact this is one of the more enjoyable films that I have seen recently due to it's honesty. American movies (I'm English) often have a gloss to nasty situations but I found this very refreshing in its no-nonsense handling of a very painful subject, redundancy. In fact I found it riveting from beginning to end, mostly due to good directing, a tight script, beautiful photography, and splendid acting from Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Ben Affleck, Maria Bello, Craig T. Nelson and in particular in a small supporting role, an absolute knockout I thought, Kevin Costner. Highly recommended movie.

In the midst of economic turmoil the GTX corporation is downsized, not so much because of dire need, but due to shareholder pressure and necessity to project success via any means possible. All in order to keep the stock prices at a high. The story follows three victims of the corporate brutality: the middle aged sales exec Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) and further down the line his superiors senior manager Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) and the first company employee, CSO Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones). Bobby Walker gets hit with the reality slowly but surely, not ready to let go of his extravagant lifestyle with a spacious suburban house, regular golf outings and eating out almost everyday. However when mortgage payment start getting hit Bobby finally agrees to take on the job of his construction-worker brother-in-law, Jack Dolan (Kevin Costner).Toughest hit is 60-year-old Phil Woodward, who now lacks any traits making him employable. Too old to find a new career, but too low on the ladder to get offered positions in this tough economic climate. For Gene McClary, owner as vast shares at GTX, being fired on a golden parachute entails almost no financial problems, however it does bring out a disillusionment with his former CEO and best friend James Salinger (Craig T. Nelson), downsizing for personal gain, paying himself out hefty multimillion dollar profits, while thousands go unemployed. Now resetting to a world, where money is a product in itself, he reminisces of a time, when people knew their real worth building physical objects, not just functioning in an increasingly virtual and lopsided economy.With a story deserving better script treatment, the main issue comes from an almost total lack of connection with the three protagonists. Given the overall situation of millions working minimum wage jobs, the plight of three rich white guys going through a rough spot seems detached from the ordinary man. Despite the real tragedy that hits during the movie, the 'inconveniences' seem timid at best, barely cause you to flinch when Bobby Walker has to sell his beloved sports car (as if he really needed it). Given the overall consumerist culture attacking corporate and everyday America, the breath of reality barely resonates, let alone devastate. Unfortunately most time is afforded to Bobby Walker, whose story hardly hits home, involves or causes the slightest compassion. Even more so that writer / director John Wells teases Bobby with two imminent job opportunities, only to take them away in truly awkward jarring fashion.The much more intriguing story themes lurk with Woodward and McClary. The first destroyed by the realisation, that his world has ended, but no one has even seemed to notice. Probably the only honest, humanist message apparent, more involving than the big money work break of Bobby Walker. On the other hand corporate exec McClary brings some well-rounded insight and contemplation into culture of corporate America, even if at times it is pretty superficial, as if taken from headlines of blog articles ranting at corrupt CEO (however true this may be, you would expect a bit more in-depth commentary from high-end educated multi-millionaires).