No, despite the fact that "The Company" is even more lacking in narrative structure than the usual Altman film, I was never bored. I'm not a fan of ballet, but even I was thrilled by the performances in this film and moved by the beauty of dance. What Altman has done here is use one art form to record the artistic process of another, and it's mostly successful on those terms. I have to admit that my attention did wander at times. I didn't want a contrived plot and was happy just watching artists at work, but even I was craving some dramatic conflict here and there. I have to think there's more drama in the behind-the-scenes world of professional dance (just as there is when any group of people come together in a community) than Altman finds here. But the visuals are superb, especially the cinematography. And, being from Chicago myself, it was fun to soak in the Windy City locations (I could have been an extra in the outdoor scene they filmed in Grant Park, but wasn't able to go to the shoot).
There's really no need to mention the actors, since none of them really registers, with the exception of Malcolm McDowell, who breezes on and off the screen wearing a yellow scarf around his neck and barking tyrannical orders to have furniture moved out of his way. No, the star of this show is the dance itself. It's not one of Altman's best films, but he's certainly done much, much worse.
Grade: B
There's really no need to mention the actors, since none of them really registers, with the exception of Malcolm McDowell, who breezes on and off the screen wearing a yellow scarf around his neck and barking tyrannical orders to have furniture moved out of his way. No, the star of this show is the dance itself. It's not one of Altman's best films, but he's certainly done much, much worse.
Grade: B