Poor company

No matter the audience’s political persuasion, it’s hard to imagine being outraged or moved by Redford’s shallow interpretation of what was a busy time for far-left US militants The Weathermen.

After the surrender of Sarandon’s nod to Bernadine Dohrn, one bushy-tailed reporter (LaBeouf) blows the cover of another comrade, played by Redford himself. Shoehorned between an opening “We were very young” prison speech and Redford-channelling-Mike-Brady’s closing lecture to the reporter, there’s a film in there. Now... where did it go? Underground?

The Company You Keep | Directed by Robert Redford (USA 2012) with Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon. Starts Jul 25.

Originally published in Issue #118, July/August 2013.