Aaron Eckhart: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Chad - In The Company of Men (1997)

Before he practically torched his career with the ill-fated remake of The Wicker Man, Neil LaBute was a very highly regarded filmmaker. In addition to his burgeoning reputation as a playwright, he gave Eckhart his first few big gigs. But whatever good qualities he brought to Your Friends and Neighbours, Nurse Betty or Possession, he has never bettered his first collaboration with LaBute, In The Company of Men. In The Company of Men revolves around Chad (Eckhart) and Howard (Matt Molloy), two chauvinistic middle managers who are assigned to a temporary office for six weeks to work on a special project. Embittered by previous experiences with women, they hatch a plan to ruin the life of their deaf co-worker Christine (Stacy Edwards), by both wooing her simultaneously and then both breaking up with her. But as things start to go wrong with their work projects, things take a much more ruthless turn with the romance as well... In The Company of Men is a riotous black comedy with a lot of brains, playing with preconceived notions of sexism and offering a few surprises along the way. But while many of the plaudits focussed on LaBute (including a Sundance trophy and an Independent Spirit Award), Eckhart's sublime central performance should have been celebrated just as much. His edgy, uncompromising manner, coupled with a deep commitment to the material, results in a powerhouse performance every bit as compelling as Tom Cruise's turn in Magnolia. While Harvey Dent may come to define his career, this remains his finest work. Having enjoyed Eckhart's company thus far, let's move on to five films in which he was rotten to the core...