Company Man (2001)

Image credit: Company Man: Abbot Genser

MIXED 'COMPANY' Turturro and Sigourney Weaver get a grip

If Kevin Spacey had a gangly nerd cousin who did an impersonation of Jack Lemmon at his most hyperfastidious, he might come off something like Douglas McGrath, the cowriter, codirector, and star of Company Man. McGrath's Allen Quimp is a prissy, harmless geek -- a grammar teacher who somehow lands a job as a CIA operative, only to end up in Cuba on the eve of the Castro revolution. If you've always longed to see a Cold War satire done in the hit 'em over the head frantic camp mode of ''Love, American Style,'' then Company Man is the movie for you.

McGrath is so infatuated with his own highly telegraphed silliness that even his wildest gags feel mothballed. The roster of supporting zanies includes John Turturro as a macho anticommie hysteric, Alan Cumming as General Batista (surprise! -- he plays him as an adorable fey imp), and an unbilled Woody Allen as a beret wearing CIA veteran who'll do anything to get out of Cuba. By the end, you may feel the same way.