The Company Men appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie came with a fine transfer.
Sharpness seemed positive. A few wider shots demonstrated minor softness, but most of the flick came across as tight and precise.
I saw no issues with jagged edges or moiré effects, and edge haloes remained absent. I also saw no signs of print flaws.
To convey the chilly corporate setting, Men went with heavy teal overtones much of the time. Other hues emerged – especially when the film went with family scenes – but the blues dominated. Within design parameters, the hues felt well-rendered.
Blacks showed good deepness, and shadows were similarly smooth and appropriate. This turned into an appealing transfer.
As for the flick’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it offered an unassuming presence. The soundscape stayed with subdued material virtually the entire film.
Music displayed gentle stereo imaging and general ambience ruled the day. A few scenes at construction sites opened things up a little, but even those were laid-back and without much involving information.
Audio quality was fine though also unexceptional. Speech seemed reasonably natural and concise, and music showed fair range. The score was too subdued to make a huge impact, but it worked well enough.
Effects also remained quiet, so they didn’t show great punch, but they were fairly accurate. This was a consistently average track, though one that felt adequate for a chatty character drama.
How did the Blu-ray compare to the DVD version? The lossless audio brought a bit more oomph, but the restricted nature of the mix meant it didn’t show major leaps.
On the other hand, visuals got a nice boost, as the Blu-ray seemed much better defined, with deeper blacks, stronger colors and a generally smoother feel. The DVD looked blah so this became a nice upgrade.
We get the same extras as the DVD, and we begin with an audio commentary from writer/director John Wells. He delivers a running, screen-specific take on the project's origins and development, script/story/character notes, cast and performances, sets and locations, research and reflections on the economic crisis, cinematography and effects.
From start to finish, Wells gives us an efficient, involving commentary. He covers a good range of subjects and does so in a concise manner. Well tellls us many nice details about the project and makes this a rewarding chat.
In addition to an Alternate Ending (12:52), we get six Deleted Scenes. These fill a total of seven minutes, 16 seconds and include “Bobby’s Stock Tip” (1:10), “Bobby Wakes Up Early” (0:39), “Bobby & His Dad” (0:54), “Gene & His Wife” (1:04), “Extended Dinner” (1:45) and “Phil Looks for Job” (1:38).
The big change between the “Alternate Ending” and the existing finale comes from the source of the job one of the characters accepts; it also shows that this character has learned better how to balance career and home life. It works fine; I don’t think it’s notably better or worse than the existing finale.
As for the other scenes, they’re similarly superfluous. The two with Gene are probably best, as they show his boredom. “Job” is just pathetic, as Phil already looks sad in the final cut, so this scene just makes him too pitiful.
The three Bobby segments are fine but don’t add anything; we already get so much of the character that we don’t need more.
Making The Company Men runs 14 minutes, 23 seconds and offers notes from Wells and actors Ben Affleck, Maria Bello, Chris Cooper, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tommy Lee Jones, and Kevin Costner.
The featurette looks at the economic reality behind the movie’s story, the flick’s influences and development, cast and performances, and Wells’ approach to the project. Since Wells already covers so much in the commentary, we get some repetition here, but it’s still a good overview.
The disc opens with ads for The King’s Speech and Blue Valentine. No trailer for Company Men appears here.
With a solid theme, The Company Men boasts decent relevance. It also manifests some good moments but lacks the consistent narrative and balance that would make it more compelling. The Blu-ray comes with solid visuals, adequate audio and a handful of supplements. This becomes a moderately interesting film but not an especially great one.
To rate this film visit the DVD review of COMPANY MEN