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.

Movie Recommendation: "Arbitrage" - Starring Richard Gere

Photo Credit: Lionsgate

Why is it so difficult for some people to do the right thing? Of course, when someone potentially has billions of dollars at their disposal, it may be possible to buy their way out of anything, so he/she may forego doing the right thing because there may be no real consequences. However, having those resources does not absolve anyone of their guilt and hedge fund manager Robert Miller (Richard Gere) learns that the hard way in writer/director Nicholas Jarecki's Arbitrage.

Robert Miller is a troubled man who is trying to hide the financial state of his company by manipulating earnings reports and is also carrying on an affair with a much younger woman, Julie (Laetitia Casta). Miller believes that he can secure the capital necessary to protect his future, albeit through deception. However, that problem pales in comparison to the one he encounters when he falls asleep at the wheel while driving late at night with his mistress, which results is a crash that claims her life. Instead of reporting the accident to the authorities, Robert calls a friend to pick him up and leaves the scene of the crime. He suspects that he may get away with it because the car eventually went up in flames, thus burning any forensic evidence.

However, the police soon come calling when a connection between Robert and Julie is established. While Robert's wife, Ellen (Susan Sarandon), knows what her husband has been up to, she decides to hold the cops at bay in order to protect her family, but she also has something in mind to settle the score with the wayward Robert. Meanwhile, Robert's daughter, Brooke (Brit Marling), who works as an executive in the company, begins to learn that the financial statements have been fudged and is afraid that she may be implicated, along with her father, if the truth comes out. And it always does.

Arbitrage taps into the recent financial scandals that have plagued the nation and also examines the lack of culpability that is expressed by those individuals who believe that they can buy and deceive their way out of anything. Even though Robert Miller is unlikable and completely selfish, he is very intelligent and resourceful, as he leverages his contacts and people that he has helped in the past to assist him in getting out of the mess that he has made of his life. Robert clearly loves his daughter, but even she is not immune to his greed and deception. When Brooke confronts her father with the truth, he actually looks like he feels guilty for causing her pain. The character runs the emotionally gamut throughout the film and Richard Gere perfectly conveys Robert's strength, intelligence, pain and vulnerability in a spectacular performance. While I did not want to see Richard get away with his crimes, I marveled at watching him weave a labyrinth of deceit that causes much pain for everyone he allegedly cares about. Could he really get away with everything because of his wealth and power? A check of recent history reveals that, yes, he could, but at what personal cost? The answers may be uncomfortable to contemplate, but they make for a fascinating and cerebral film.

Arbitrage is still playing in select theaters and is available On Demand.