Having been the executive producer on the long running medical drama ER for all of its fifteen series run, John Wells has decided to supersize from the small screen to the big, with this his directorial debut feature. Set within the world of white collar corporate America, it may be less bloody than the goings-on of County General, but it’s just as harrowing.

Despite being a large corporation GTX is struggling to keep the balance sheet out of the red. In an attempt to please the shareholders, the powers that be decide to make some sweeping redundancies – in their thousands – throughout the company. And so the axe falls.

Among those getting the chop is 37 year-old Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck); up until this point in his career he thought that he was an invaluable asset to the company; apparently not. Suddenly he finds that even with an impressive CV, it doesn’t guarantee you a job.

With a wife, two kids, a big house and a Porsche to support, Bobby and his family have to seriously consider downsizing. And with what seems like half of America going for one or two jobs, getting another position isn’t going to be as easy as he first imagined.

But it’s not only Bobby feeling the pinch. Some of the colleagues he left behind, including fellow exec Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper), could still face the axe, despite having one of the founders of the company Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) fighting in their corner. But as the US Apprentice show states in its opening credits, “it’s not personal, it’s business”.

I wonder how many here are wearing thongs. I wish I wasn't wearing mine today, it's riding up like a monkey up a tree.

Just in case that anyone wasn’t already aware of the fact that, due to the fairly recent deterioration of global economies, there’s no such thing as a job for life, this film hammers home that sentiment with a cold, harsh thud.

If it’s a feel-good film you’re looking for, then you’re certainly looking in the wrong direction with this one. Having said that, Wells does attempt to keep the general mood of this piece on the buoyant side, with a glass half full mentality, for most of it. It also has an ending that could either be seen as a copout, or simply optimistic, depending on how you look at your own said glass.

Wells not only directed the film, he also wrote it. It’s a piece that has a touch of the Glengarry Glenross about it, although nowhere near as sharp, mixed with a John Cassavetes style of direction. It’s no wonder then that he got the talent that he did. It’s also unusual to see Kevin Costner in such a small role, but then it has been a decade or so since he’s starred in a film that was actually worth watching.

The performances are solid enough, particularly that of Chris Cooper, but much the like the film itself there are little in the way of surprises. Unfortunately redundancies are the new cancer; even if it hasn’t happened to you, you’re bound to know someone who it has happened to.

It also doesn’t help that it’s difficult to actually care about characters who are just middle management. Are we really supposed to feel sorry for people who lose their six figure salaries? Sorry, no can do.

For a debut feature however, it’s a brave first step. Wells will want to dig a little deeper into his stories and characters however, if he intends to keep audiences on his side.