Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

All Is Bright Blu-ray Movie Review

No money, no jingle.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 19, 2013

They say "Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year," but for the less fortunate it's just another reminder of a life that's gone wrong and the hardships that don't take a day off on December 25th. All is Bright decks its celluloid halls with a dreary story of two men battling for the heart of one woman while trying to earn a few dollars not for that super-sexy must-have Christmas present but rather to keep on going, for a warm place to sleep and a hot meal to fill their stomachs. It's a peculiar film, one that's not particularly jolly and not very heavily themed in any one direction, though it does trend ever-so-slightly towards the latter in its simple examination of man's most fundamental conditions. It's a rather somber and sometimes very lightly and darkly humorous tale of life down on the tough end of the scale, a film in which the challenges come from merely trying to survive the moment and focus on tomorrow, never mind the future or even the prospects of the Christmas holiday. In other words, don't expect either a fresh or familiar tale of Holiday cheer or jeer; All is Bright is something altogether different, a very much on-pont, straightforward Human Drama that shows the darker side of life, the life back in the shadows and beyond the cheer of family and festive Christmas lights.

What do I look like, a Christmas tree delivery man?

A Canadian ex-thief by the name of Dennis (Paul Giamatti) has recently been released from prison. He may have been better off on the inside. He cannot find employment and he cannot expand his search due to the constraints of his parole. He learns that his wife Therese (Amy Landecker) has told their daughter Michi (Tatyana Richaud) that he's dead. To make matters worse, Dennis discovers that his wife is poised to re-marry, and the groom-to-be is an old acquaintance named Rene (Paul Rudd). Desperate for money, Dennis approaches Rene and lands a job helping him sell Christmas trees. Rene smuggles Dennis across the border into the United States where they set up shop on a street corner that attracts a wide range of potential customers. Business is slow, but Dennis' fortunes appear to change when he meets Olga (Sally Hawkins), a customer who occasionally opens her home to the down-on-his-luck Canadian. She also just so happens to own a piano that would be a prized gift for Michi.

All is Bright certainly eschews a classic Christmas vibe in favor of a bleak outlook of life down on the ground level, where the holiday season is but a new opportunity to sell a few trees and make a few dollars. Christmas, these characters believe, is for all of those other people rather than for themselves. Dennis and Rene's idea of a quality Christmas season is an extra sale, a few more dollars, maybe a bit of good news if the pull of family and the conflict that stems from their peculiar relationship doesn't tear them apart both from the inside and the outside first. The film, directed by Phil Morrison (Junebug), doesn't strive to do anything but paint a painfully realistic picture of life, of humanity struggling to understand how things have been and why they must so often remain the same, how difficult a task it truly is to break free of bad times and find a glimmer of hope in a different direction.

The material, dreary as it may be, works in large part thanks to the quality of the performances. Paul Giamatti is stellar in the film, portraying a hard luck parolee who genuinely wants to reconnect with his old life, at least his old life that didn't land him in prison. Giamatti brings an incredible depth to a character who, on the outside, appears simple enough, a regular hard-luck individual who's dealing with a broken family, a ruined life, and the call of the very thing that landed him in prison years ago. It's his ability to so effortlessly capture that simplicity that makes the performance great; the nuance is in the character's very essence, seen with every stare, felt with each movement, and understood with every decision. Paul Rudd's performance isn't quite so dynamic, but it, too, proves highly effective and naturally balanced. The picture's rather gloomy, overcast appearance certainly helps set the stage, but it's Giamatti's performance that gives the film the depth it would not have found with a lesser actor in the lead role.

All Is Bright Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

All is Bright decks out its Blu-ray release with a very good-looking 1080p transfer. Though the image is defined by gray overcast skies and naturally muddy, bland colors, the image proves incredibly stable and accurate within its natural parameters. Detail is exemplary. Close-ups deliver intricate facial and clothing detail; a border crossing officer's hat looks particularly magnificent in terms of fabric texture, seams, and stitched lettering. Image clarity is excellent, and the cold background details look terrific, particularly around the lot where Dennis and Rene sell the trees. The color palette, as noted, is severely muted but contextually looks fine. Black levels are solid, and flesh tones look a little pale but fit in with the general color scheme. There are no major instances of banding, blocking, or noise. This is a very strong effort from Anchor Bay.

All Is Bright Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

All is Bright rocks around the Christmas tree with a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. There's a very nice presence to the Jazzy Christmas music that opens the film. There's not much surround support, but clarity is fine, front spacing is adequate, and instrument details are precise. There's a quality presence to heavier piano notes that play later in the film, supported by a good, deep low end that promotes a very realistic sensation. The track enjoys a few minor action-styled sound effects and occasional background ambience. However, the track is primarily focused on dialogue. The spoken word is delivered neatly and accurately from the center. This is not a dynamic, hard-hitting track, but Anchor Bay's presentation handles its pieces very nicely nonetheless.

All Is Bright Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All is Bright contains no bonus content. A UV digital copy code is included in the box.

All Is Bright Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

All is Bright certainly isn't as its name suggests. It's a dim, sometimes depressing picture of struggle at Christmastime, of two men doing all they can to make ends meet all the while battling over the woman they both love from afar. It's a well-made film, certainly, and very well acted, but don't look to it for a bit of fresh holiday cheer; it'll disappoint in that arena. As a challenging look at life near the bottom, however, the film proves a winner. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of All is Bright features superb video and solid audio. Unfortunately, no supplements are included. Recommended provided the audience is prepared to have much of their holiday spirit drained.