The Company (2003) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski)

The Company is Robert Altman's ensemble drama about a short period in the life of a ballet company. It demonstrates some of the creative process that goes into a show; tells a few backstage stories of rivalries, loves, firings, and injuries; and focuses a bit on the life of one mid-level dancer (Neve Campbell) on the verge of stardom. Is it Showgirls remade for highbrows? Well, not exactly, but there are some similarities.

Frankly, I watched this thing in complete confusion. I can report that it is one of two things:

a. A brilliant satire on the empty-headed world of artistic poseurs and their sycophantically appreciative audiences.

b. A demonstration that Robert Altman is utterly clueless.

Here's the basic summary of what happens. I can't really use the word "plot" since that would imply some type of momentum that holds one's attention. A dance company is in the process of producing a ballet called The Blue Snake, as directed by a new choreographer. The choreographer seems to have no idea what he's trying to do, the costumes are about as subtle as the San Diego Chicken, and the whole project smacks of the pretentiousness of the turtle neckers who fancy themselves the only repository of man's artistic sense.

At the end of the film, The Blue Snake is finally produced and shown in some detail. It is the most baffling, pretentious piece of pseudo-intellectual clap-trap that you are ever likely to see. It is like a fourth grade Halloween Pageant performed by really graceful and artistic athletes. I started to smile when they began performing, and was about ready to start howling with laughter when I saw that the audience of the play-within-a-film was supposed to be mesmerized, pleased, even dazzled, by the brilliance of this work.

That's when I was beset with the confusion reflected in the second paragraph above. I thought to myself, "Is Altman making fun of the ballet, as well as the idle culture-vultures who go to highbrow performances and museums to mask a lack of education and taste? Or is it possible that Altman himself really thinks this performance of The Blue Snake is a great artistic achievement?" Who the hell knows? I hope it was the former.

I'll say this, though. If it was satire, no movie critics seemed to pick up on it.

If you are a great fan of ballet, you'll probably enjoy all the insider stuff and some of the snippets of the performances of the famous Joffrey company, which is featured prominently in the film.  If you are not interested in ballet, you need to take a pass, because the Neve Campbell character is the only one who seems to have much life outside the theater and rehearsal rooms. Apart from the effort to develop her personal story, an effort which is half-hearted at best, there is virtually no character development.

Come to think of it, the lack of character development makes a pretty good complement for the lack of plot.

It's a shame that the film is so inert and undramatic, because its complete box office failure prevented any significant number of moviegoers from seeing Neve Campbell's performance, in which she did all of her own dancing amid actual members of the Joffrey Ballet, and seemed right in place, despite long unedited takes and intimate camera work. Based upon the reactions of professionals who have seen this film, Neve's performance may be the best instance of an actor simulating a convincing professional performance without camera trickery since Robert Redford did his own hitting and fielding in The Natural.