The riveting first trailer for 'The Company You Keep' with Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf

As much as Robert Redford's politically charged directorial efforts are to be respected, of late it seems as if he's let his message interfere too much with the needs of the story. That's led to a number of overstuffed films with great casts and a lot of unfulfilled potential. Redford looks to be taking a different approach with The Company You Keep, and if this newly released trailer is any indication, he's combining his message with intense action and taut political intrigue in a way he hasn't in a long time.

As usual, Redford has surrounded himself with an incredible cast that would make any director jealous of. He plays a former member of the Weather Underground, the left-wing radical movement prevalent in the 1970s. In hiding for decades, he's forced to go on the lam when an old colleague(Susan Sarandon) is arrested for a crime they committed years earlier, and he finds his identity revealed by an ambitious young reporter(Shia LaBeouf). Curiously absent in the trailer is Brit Marling(Sound of My Voice), who we know has a major role in the film, as well. But seriously, when the supporting players are made up of Terrence Howard, Anna Kendrick, Stanley Kubrick, Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Root, Nick Nolte, Julie Christie, and Chris Cooper, they may have just leaned on highlighting the most recognizable faces for added marketing punch.

Sony Pictures Classics picked up the rights to the film just last week, so hopefully we'll start hearing about a U.S. release date soon. The Company You Keep will premier in Venice quickly followed by a presence in Toronto. Check out the trailer below....