6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Two childhood best friends embark on a road trip back to their hometown after one of them learns he has inherited a large sum of money from his recently deceased estranged father.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, Jay Gates, Jason Davis (VIII)Comedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Please frame your answer in the form of a question. Are You Here: Jeopardy! fail. And movie fail. Are You Here -- statement, not question, but perhaps, then, a form of commentary on life by phrasing a question in the form of a statement, or maybe someone's "?" key just broke at an inopportune time -- is itself sort of like a game of Jeopardy!, a movie in which there are a lot of categories, plenty of questions, and not always a right answer to be found. Shoot, there's even big money involved. The film follows several dysfunctional people and the chaos that life places in their paths, chaos born of money, uncertainty, hate, questionable mental health, objectionable morals, strange relationships, and curvy twists of fate on which the likes of these sorts of movies usually thrive but that here only place the viewer into a deeper void of empty meandering. The film is built on a solid foundation of healthy characterization and good actors but never does much with either, or anything else at its disposal, for that matter. Hints of a better film abound but the end product only serves to disappoint audiences rightly expecting something a little more substantive and directional.
High.
Are You Here does deliver a good video presentation. Millennium Entertainment's 1080p transfer provides a relatively smooth and flat HD video picture but one that nevertheless delivers bright, accurate colors, even clarity, and solid foundational details. Trouble spots include minor background banding, occasionally crushed blacks, and minute occurrences of aliasing. Otherwise, the picture is good-to-go. Details appear faithfully reproduced, revealing excellent textures across the board, including skin features, clothing lines, country and city nuance, and good image definition on random close-up shots of objects like a styrofoam chest and a wooden stump. Colors are frequently bright and pleasing, whether clothing accents, natural greenery, a red car, or other examples of the palette's relatively diverse and cheerful presentation. Overall, this is a solid effort all around.
Are You Here's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack capably conveys the film's music and sound design. As a dialogue-heavy Drama, there's not much here beyond the spoken word, which is delivered accurately, consistently, and clearly from the center channel. Musical delivery satisfies. It's fairly front heavy and not exceptionally robust, but a light surround element and good clarity throughout the entire range carries it well. The track frequently envelops the listener in light background ambience, including blowing wind, nighttime insect song, and the din of a bar. A few heavier effects play nicely enough, including a clucking chicken and a blaring alarm. Otherwise, this is a rather straightforward track that does the big things right and impresses in its ability to convey the little things with dependable accuracy and placement around the stage.
Are You Here contains previews for additional Millennium Entertainment titles as well as an audio commentary track with Writer/Director Matthew Weiner, Editor Christopher Gay, and Cinematographer Chris Manley. They discuss film structure, character development, story details, set design, scene construction, and much more. The filmmakers do a good job of shaping the story both on its surface and behind-the-scenes, much better than the film itself. A good example comes around the 21-minute mark when they share story ideas that didn't exactly make it into the film in an obvious manner.
Are You Here shows flashes of potential, even through the fog of flat characters and a fairly directionless story. There's opportunity aplenty to create something vastly more interesting and satisfying, something made of quality dramatic nuance and a healthy, vibrant arc, but the movie seems to only throw darts and settle for whatever number they touch. It's a shame to waste this talented cast, and more is expected from one of the key creative geniuses behind The Sopranos and Mad Men. Unfortunately, this feels like a draft, at best, something cobbled together for a project rather than a purpose. Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Are You Here features solid video and audio. A commentary track is the only included supplement. Worth a rental for the curiously inclined.
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