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BY TOM MEEK
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In this post–September 11 story, Joan (the always dignified Sigourney Weaver) is a world-traveled journalist who now raises a family and writes from the sanctity of her Manhattan overlook. Through her sister she’s engaged to help a fire chief (the undervalued Anthony LaPaglia, who was so engrossing in Lantana) craft the eulogies of the eight men he lost that on that tragic day. The material, adapted from journalist Anne Nelson’s stage play and directed by Weaver’s husband, Jim Simpson, is mostly reflective dialogue that takes place within the cozy confines of Joan’s apartment. Weaver’s outsider, who wants to do something significant but feels incapable, and LaPaglia’s gruff, numb survivor evoke empathy and create a sincere, if inert, chemistry. And Joan’s interspersed voiceovers give poetic texture to an otherwise desolate landscape. The Guys may be small in scale, but it’s big in scope. (85 minutes)
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