Bad Company

Bad Company

“Bad Company” is a thriller with extraordinary complexity and depth, a thinking man’s Grisham film. The story follows intelligent, ruthless people who have worked for the CIA and now operate their own freelance espionage business. These characters are greedy, relentless killers dressed in designer clothes and living in high end neighborhoods; they touch themselves as if afraid to leave fingerprints behind.

A man named Nelson Crowe (Laurence Fishburne) is being interviewed for a job at the beginning of the movie. He applies to work for Vic Grimes (Frank Langella), who runs his organization called Grimes Organization that specializes in industrial dirty tricks. Margaret Wells (Ellen Barkin), second-in-command, hires him after taking him into her boss’ office. All these characters speak with an elegant and mannered understatement while holding themselves casually but confidently: There’s an implication throughout many crime films where villains have attended schools we can’t afford.

Before any real plot has been revealed which trust me there’s plenty of plot to come this film manages to captivate us simply through its style and decorum alone. Written by Ross Thomas one of my favorite crime novelists directed by Damien Harris from an original screenplay it feels like a movie that was actually written: The dialogue possesses sleek cruelty while supporting characters exhibit quirks not found in screenplays knitted together during classes on how to write movies.

Walter Curl played by Spaulding Grey spends most of his time chewing on his handkerchief because he fears $25 million worth fines due his company poisoning some children with toxic waste. For four percent less than that $1 million she tells him they can bribe a state judge so he will influence trial outcomes against them says Wells, “Look at us!” hisses Langella always assuring people this way it becomes running joke throughout picture smooth polished actor implying wit without revealing it but listen close how he says: “Before you attempt suborn superior court judge make sure has hand out way out way out here.”

Stiers plays the judge as a gambler who owes money to card players and horse racing bookies Gia Carides provides nice support role as mistress watches him get bribed turns out likes more smart than think Meanwhile Barkin character suggested Fishburne could off poor Grimes take over organization themselves.

This is just one among many meanwhiles within Thomas’ labyrinthine script There are lots more surprises none I’ll spoil because watching this flick feels like peeling back layers from onion each level seems complete whole until find another underneath And dialogue speeds up all around scenes like when mistress learns arm gun or when explains fly fishing

I was intrigued by the set design. This film is set in Seattle, but most of it was filmed in Vancouver; production notes mention Tadao Ando as an influencing architect on these interiors. Andrew McAlpine, the production designer, creates spaces that add to character: for instance Fishburne’s character lives in a house painted deep reds and blues where there are no places to sit except for the kitchen and an exercise machine.

Jack N. Green has photographed this world seductively. It is so expensive and closed off and decadent and witty that it allows the actors to be coolly mannered with each other. Everyone poses. They are formal. Barkin sleeps with both men but keeps her clothes mostly on; sometimes these characters would rather keep their cool than stay alive.

The plot clicks like clockwork, surprising us then surprising us again, but I liked “Bad Company” more for its style look and feel than story that’s what will stay with me for a long time I think. Looking closely at this movie is like tasting the very best that large-scale craft can do in contemporary Hollywood.

Every shot is loaded; the film makes its argument about this world not through dialogue but through how people speak it while looking at each other when they do so. This picture exemplifies Possession our lust as viewers being stirred not by how characters appear visually attractive but rather by what possessions belong to them or signify ownership over something valuable belonging exclusively only unto themselves alone among all others who may wish otherwise too!

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