Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

At Any Price Blu-ray Movie Review

Worth the price of admission.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 23, 2013

The rather broad, stereotypical view of the American midwest is of wholesomeness, of good people holding the moral high ground, of honest dealings, close families, and closer convictions. The region is widely thought of as a holdover of simpler times, of deals sealed by handshakes, of life lived at a slower pace, an oasis away from the big city problems and the bad the people who do bad things. Director Ramin Bahrani's (Goodbye Solo) At Any Price offers a different perspective that shows another side of country living, one in which corruption, bad dealings, cheating the system, wounded families, extramarital affairs, lying, conniving, and the thirst for the acquisition of power and wealth define one family and the community around them. It's power brandished not by the pen wielded from the high-rise but rather from the tractor in rows of sprawling crops or in the race car on dirt-laden tracks. It's a fascinating contrast that shatters preconceived notions with the end goal, it would seem, of showing that geographical boundaries and features -- and certainly not stereotypes -- do not and cannot fundamentally shape a man into a preconceived image, that the lust for more does not disappear at state or county lines, that beyond the wholesome exterior lies a shady, sometimes even fully dark, interior, but one not without hope for and the possibility of something better.

Not pleased.

Henry Whiple (Dennis Quaid) operates one of the most successful farms in Iowa, a 3700-acre empire of stalks and machinery. It's been in the family for several generations, and he's built it into a dominant force in the local agricultural scene. He's relentless in his drive to succeed. He hopes for the return of his estranged son Grant and yearns to reunite with his wayward and rebellious son Dean (Zac Efron) who has taken up automobile racing and all but abandoned any idea of one day working in and, ultimately, inheriting the family empire. Dean has made himself a success on the dirt track. He aspires to rise higher in the field of racing and he's prepared to do almost anything to succeed. When problems arise on the farm and Henry is accused of illegal practices, the family must either come together or fall apart under the mounting pressure from the agricultural authorities.

At Any Price peels back and pieces together a number of complexly structured layers -- the comings and goings of family, business, and desire -- and reveals a wonderful movie that speaks to the heart of man in the heart of America. The film focuses on two key players, father and son who couldn't be more dissimilar but also couldn't be more alike. They're both spellbound by the opportunity to find leverage, to gain power, to succeed where others have failed, to amass their own personal victories in life. For Henry, that's building his agricultural empire, a goal for which he knows no boundaries, not of physical borders nor of tact or even the law. For his son Dean, that strive to succeed lives on the racetrack rather than the fields. He races, he says, to distance himself from his father, even as it becomes ever more apparent that the two are more alike than they are different. Henry is ruthless in business, and so is Dean behind the wheel of his car. Henry skirts the system and prods for advantages. Dean brazenly takes what he needs to succeed and manipulates the race in his favor. They collect enemies as frequently as they accumulate wealth and land or victories and trophies. But within both of them is something they cannot change or discard, and that's a blood bond that, as such are apt to do, rises in crisis only when all else has failed.

The picture is remarkably well constructed. Ramin Bahrani proves himself a master of the craft -- as writer and director -- taking his time to build the film with purpose rather than for show, with a direction rather than an aimless, plodding slog towards the end. The picture produces remarkable dramatic flow. The characters are fully developed both internally and externally, both in themselves and in their relationships with one another. The film captures the essence of drama, constructing a narrative that brings the audience intimately into the characters' lives. That intimacy, that understanding of who they are, what they are doing, and where they are headed isn't just a result of the writing but also the extraordinary performances within the film. Quaid and Efron are fantastic, both of them bringing an overt charisma and subtle vulnerability to their respective parts, both understanding of how the characters externally differ but internally reflect one another. Quaid's is a masterful effort, one of the best of his career. He falls into type easily but it's not the physical traits of the performance that make it so good but rather the ability to demonstrate that inward struggle with either the most overt, outward actions or the reflective inner struggles manifested in a glance or body language. Efron, too, is outstanding, emerging as a mature actor and, here, finding that balance between teenage rebellion and coming into adulthood while deeply defining the character, like Quaid, beyond the superficialities. That's really what At Any Price does so well, embracing that notion that it's bigger than its constraints, that there's a purpose beyond a simple narrative, that the outer shell is but a vessel for a more complex and deeply satisfying experience. Both actors embody that characteristic and help shape the film into something truly special.

At Any Price Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

At Any Price looks fantastic on Blu-ray. The image is clean as a whistle and brilliantly colored. Details are crisp and superbly defined, and neither an inch of the screen nor a frame of the movie looks in any way soft. The HD video image reveals complex details with ease through its abundance of clarity. Stalks in the field, the textures of an old racer, pebbly terrain, clothing lines, and facial features are perfectly defined in every shot and under any lighting condition. The color palette is as extraordinary as the detailing. Green stalks look incredible. Rarely has color appeared so deep and accurate as it does here. Likewise, the colors on race cars, the varied hues of clothing, and interior accents look incredible. Black levels are rich and accurate, and flesh tones appear natural. There's a small bit of shimmering on distant background objects in a few shots, but the transfer is otherwise perfect in every regard. It doesn't get much better than this.

At Any Price Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

At Any Price features a rather Drama-basic but typically Sony-proficient DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Generally, the track is rather gentle, with light music and ambience. The former plays smoothly and with natural spacing, superior clarity, and balanced low end support, while the latter richly but usually subtly envelops the stage in the natural Iowa sound effects. Things ramp up a bit with a gunshot, shattering glass, and a blaring alarm in one early scene. Car engine rumbles realistically rattle the stage, and the sounds of zipping cars, flying dirt from the track, and crunching metallic bodies help pull the audience from the couch and into the passenger's side of the race car. Dialogue comes through firmly and clearly from the center.

At Any Price Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

At Any Price contains an audio commentary, a question and answer session, and rehearsal footage.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Ramin Bahrani and Actor Dennis Quaid deliver a softly spoken and consistently engaging commentary. The track leans towards the technical side of the ledger but the commentators also speak on their relationship, Quaid's and the cast's performance, preparing for the picture, modern farming, crafting the racing segments, shooting locales, and much more. This is an excellent track that's a perfect compliment to the film. With optional English subtitles.
• Toronto International Film Festival Q&A (HD, 13:36): Festival Programmer Jane Schoettle introduces Ramin Bahrani and, after a screening, moderates a Q&A session with Bahrani, Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Kim Dickens, and Maika Monroe.
• Rehearsal Footage (HD, 5:35): Scene 56: Byron's Farm, Scene 81: Trailer Park, Scene 82-83: Byron's Farm, and Scene 84: Intersection of Gravel Roads.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:18).
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.
• UV Digital Copy.

At Any Price Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

At Any Price works on every level. It tells a dynamic, evolving story that ditches convention and aims instead for a more palatably realistic and dramatically satisfying arc, building on two flawed characters, their broken relationship, and the crises that may bring them back together. It's beautifully directed, smartly written, and expertly acted, making it easily one of the finest films of 2012. Sony's Blu-ray release of At Any Price delivers stunning video and superb audio. Several good supplements are included. Very highly recommended.