DVD Recommendation: "The Company You Keep" Starring Robert Redford

Robert Redford directs and stars in a movie tailored for an adult audience in The Company You Keep. The character driven and extremely well acted film features a superb cast and tells the story of former dissidents from the Vietnam war era, who may now have to pay for their crimes, which include murder. Attorney Jim Grant belonged to the group, although he switched identities years earlier. However, you never know when the past may come back to haunt you and soon Jim finds himself in an unsettling situation after the arrest of one of his former cohorts, Sharon Solarz (Susan Sarandon). Making things more difficult is an eager young reporter, Ben Shepard (Shia LaBeouf), who works for (gasp!) a print newspaper and is determined to learn more about their organization, known as The Weather Underground.

Jim is spooked, so he takes precautions to protect his young daughter, Isabel (Jackie Evancho), since the child's mother passed away unexpectedly not too long ago. He relies on his brother, Daniel (Chris Cooper), for help to shield her from the mess that his life is about to become and he signs over custody rights, so that Isabel can stay with Daniel. Jim then goes on the run and visits many old friends from the past, some are happy to see him, others are not. His goal is to locate a former lover, Mimi Lurie (Julie Christie), who can exonerate him, but she may not be willing to help. In the meantime, Shepard is beginning to unravel the mystery and may just be able to help Jim, instead of leading the police to his doorstep.

Robert Redford has assembled an amazing group of actors, including Richard Jenkins, Brendan Gleeson and Nick Nolte. They all play important roles in the engrossing screenplay by Lem Dobbs and even though screen time is limited for some of them, including Susan Sarandon, they all make the most of it. Clearly, The Company You Keep is aimed for a mature audience, some of whom may remember the rebellion that occurred throughout the decade of the 1960s and beyond and may be able to relate to the characters on some level. Others, like myself, will find enjoyment in seeing so many familiar and talented faces from start to finish. I felt like I was at a reunion of sorts, even though I did not really know anyone. The Company You Keep is an underrated gem that features not only a nod to the past, but also showcases young talent, including Brit Marling, Anna Kendrick and the aforementioned Shia LaBeouf, who delivers a strong performance as a nosy, but well meaning, reporter. If you missed this one in theaters, rent or stream it on DVD.