The Company You Keep

[CBStew]

It is becoming increasingly obvious that there are a lot of folks in my generation, we have income to spend, and that we represent a market for movies, TV shows, books, etc.  Recently we were treated to "The Exotic Marigold Hotel", "Quartet", "Reds", and now we have "The Company You Keep".  This one strikes pretty close to home for me.  It is about 1960's and '70's radicals who are being called upon to answer for what they did as young people.  The movie lacks credibility, since it proceeds on two obvious fallacies, (1) that you will only run if you are innocent, and (2) that if there were several witnesses to an event you need more than one person to clear your name.  It has a lot of decrepit former stars, some of whom were once attractive but now it is almost painful to look at.  Julie Christie can't act.  Was I aware of that 40 years ago?  Or was I so dazzled by her looks that I didn't notice it?  Robert Redford is not merely old, he is wrinkled and pot bellied.  He runs like an old man.  He is unconvincing as the father of a 12 year old.  However, Susan Sarandon shows signs of being our great lady of film.  Nick Nolte is, and always will be, Nick Nolte.  (Asides, Shia LeBouef (sp?) actually can act, and looks like a young Dustin Hoffman.  Cuba Gooding is great as an asshole FBI agent.  Why weren't Dustin Hoffman, Robert DiNiro, Helen Mirren and Barbra Streisand in this movie?)

[Quality Start Machine]

Julie Christie can't act.  Was I aware of that 40 years ago?  Or was I so dazzled by her looks that I didn't notice it? 

She's not bad in the "Slam-piece of a huge star who produces his own films" category. Not as talented as Sally Field or as bad as Sondra Locke or Victoria Tennant.