Back before she charmed my pants off as Julia on Party of Five, Neve Campbell was part of Canada's National Ballet.  Campbell puts those roots to good use in Robert Altman's The Company, a documentary-like look at Chicago's Joffrey Ballet.  The film is surprisingly engrossing, at least to a dope like me who had violent thoughts about having to sit through a two-hour movie about ballet.  I've been burned too many times by dance flicks, especially those made by Carlos Saura, but even more recently by crap like Honey and Robert Duvall's Assassination Tango.

There are two things that keep The Company interesting.  The first is Campbell, who came up with the film's story with Pollock screenwriter Barbara Turner, and her shocking turn as a dancer good enough to land the female lead in Joffrey's new production.  I say "shocking" because I had no idea of Campbell's ballet roots, so I was expecting careful editing to make her look like she could dance (in the same way post-production can make it look like Chris Tucker could hold his own in a fight).  But she's really dancing, and she more than holds her own.

The other fascinating aspect of the film is Altman's decision to give The Company a fly-on-the-wall feel.  I recently had the same feeling during the French documentary To Be and to Have, which should give you some indication as to how observational an experience it is to watch The Company (which, to reiterate, isn't a documentary).  Altman explored this same technique, though much more subtly, in his overrated Gosford Park.  Unlike Park, however, which was set during one weekend, we never get a good idea about how much time passes between certain sections of The Company, and that's the film's biggest detraction.

As for the story, there really isn't much of one.  We learn bits about several of Joffrey's participants, most notably its director (an almost-hysterical Malcolm McDowell), its aging diva (Barbara Robertson) and its up-and-comer (Campbell).  There are subplots you would expect, involving things like intercompany romance, crazy stage parents and devastating injuries. as well as some things you might not expect, like Campbell's moonlighting as a barmaid and her steamy relationship with a chef (James Franco).

The Company isn't a film for everyone, but even for those with allergic reactions to dance flicks, it can still be a treat so long as you keep your mind open.

1:52 -

for brief strong language, some nudity and sexual content