Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Being Flynn Blu-ray Movie Review

A slack-jawed daddy drama with a solid AV presentation...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown July 17, 2012

Becoming Flynn would have been a more fitting title for Being Flynn, a slouched, indulgent award hopeful that attempts to tell the story of a struggling son, long estranged from his father, who begins stumbling down a path similar to the one that lured dear ol' dad from his family years before. With competing, oft-times dueling narrators in tow -- both of whom are unreliable and, worse, unlikable -- Flynn retreads ground covered in dozens of better, more honest films, and does so without truly examining the difficulties of fatherhood, the trials of being raised by a single parent (much less an emotionally haggard mother), or the depths of loss, addiction or abandonment. Writer/director Paul Weitz, working off of playwright Nick Flynn's superior memoir, "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," has trouble connecting with the material at all, wallowing in self-important diary-of-a-writer dreck and never really getting a firm grasp on Nick, his father, their estrangement or the poignancy of their unlikely reunion. If it weren't for Robert De Niro's sharp, salient performance, Being Flynn wouldn't warrant much attention at all.

"America has produced only three classic writers: Mark Twain, J.D. Salinger and me."

Writers have always been the favored characters of writers, and here we get two: a soft-spoken poet-in-the-making named Nick Flynn (a sleepy Paul Dano) and his aging, mentally unstable father, Jonathan Flynn (De Niro). Jonathan walked away from his family when Nick was young, leaving the boy to be raised by his mother Jody (Julianne Moore) and a revolving door of boyfriends, flings and shaky father figures. Fast forward ten years. Jonathan waltzes back into Nick's life without so much as an apology or an explanation, casually asking for help as if he had never left. Nick reluctantly obliges, helping the old man move out of his apartment, but soon discovers that his father is either delusional, a con-man, or a pathological liar. Matters are complicated further when Jonathan takes up residence in the homeless shelter where Nick works and begins causing trouble with the staff.

Based on a true story or no, Being Flynn feels too good to be true. As Flynn the Elder and Flynn the Younger lay out separate cases for identity and artistic expression over the course of two all too conveniently entwined storylines, Weitz treats Nick's downward spiral and Jonathan's ascent into madness with all the finesse of a hurriedly scripted Hollywood genre pic. Nick isn't fully realized, in part because Weitz presents the poet as an infuriatingly passive pushover and in part because Dano brings next to nothing to the role. His empty stares, bemused grins and shaky addict hands are so Community Theater 101 that it's hard to believe this is the same young actor who went boot to boot with Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. De Niro, on the hand, works miracles with Weitz's script. But even then it's only because Jonathan is such an out of control, scene-stealing braggart to begin with. It doesn't matter how despicable or oblivious Nick's father is; every ounce of his brashness, irritability, prejudice and disregard only helps the performance (and subsequently the film) that much more. And yet that scene stealing only makes Dano seem that much more out of his league. It's a catch 22. The higher De Niro lifts the film, the lower Dano drags it when it all comes crashing down.

The supporting cast flounders too. The always magnetic Julianne Moore, New Wave "It" girl Olivia Thirlby, ever dependable Lili Taylor and nearly everyone else that joins De Niro and Dano on screen are wasted in one way or another, setting up easy hits for Dano he misses altogether. But Dano is a talented actor. Moore, Thirlby and Taylor are talented actresses. Which brings us back to Weitz, who doesn't quite know what he wants to do with "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City," other than showcase two eccentrics -- one downtrodden and unsure, one outspoken and out of his mind -- toss them both into an awkward situation, mix in a few quirky characters, solemn lovers and inconsequential players, and sick them on one another like a pair of internalizing, self-destructive yet wildly articulate dogs. Weitz doesn't cast any light on the Flynns' patchwork relationship. He doesn't find meaning in their estrangement, reunion or strained reconciliation. And he certainly doesn't give Nick or Jonathan much in the way of redeeming qualities, even though he proceeds as if he's done just that. There are definite character arcs to be traced but very little logic to the manner in which they flow from one development to the next. There are important truths to be had but very little discretion or sophistication to their delivery. Come to think of it, Being Flynn says very little, despite offering up two different narrators and pitting their sometimes parallel, sometimes divergent stories at constant odds.

Being Flynn Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dismal and subdued as its colors often are, heavy as its shadows may be, Being Flynn's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer is true to Weitz and director of photography Declan Quinn's intentions. Primaries lack punch as well, crush and poor delineation are factors, and contrast is a bit dim, but, again, every degree of faithfulness goes a long way. Thankfully, skintones are relatively lifelike and black levels are deep. Detail is decidedly decent too, with clean edges, well-resolved textures, and a fine veneer of grain that rests gently atop the image. Not every shot is created equal, of course, and softness plays a role on occasion. A filmic role, but a role all the same. That said, artifacting, banding and other significant anomalies are held at bay. Being Flynn may hang its hat on purposefully unremarkable cinematography, but its 1080p video presentation is on point.

Being Flynn Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Being Flynn is a quiet, somber father-son drama that doesn't boast much sonic oomph or lossless kick. Still, Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track stays true to the film's down on its luck sound design. Dialogue is clear, intelligible and nicely prioritized, and narration, be it by way of Dano or De Niro, lords confidently over the soundscape. The LFE channel and rear speakers are undeniably restrained, guarded even, but Jonathan's antics in the homeless shelter, Nick's descent into drug addiction, and other choice scenes give each channel the opportunity to increase its presence and value. When the Flynns venture out onto the streets, the soundfield becomes dramatically more immersive, enveloping the listener in the business and urgency of the city. It's light and unobtrusive, sure, but it's also quite convincing. And while directionality still isn't daring, it does become more commendable, as do channel pans and dynamics. All that said, Being Flynn is an unexpectedly buttoned up drama from beginning to end and rarely indulges in the misdeeds and misbehavior of its competing protagonists. Fortunately, Universal's lossless track handles it all in stride, leaving very little to complain about.

Being Flynn Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only extra to be had is "The Heart of Being Flynn" (HD, 6 minutes), a much too short behind-the-scenes EPK that features little more than quick-hit interviews with key members of the cast and crew.

Being Flynn Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Being Flynn is one of the more disappointing films I've seen all year, if only because my expectations were set so high. After a series of mediocre performances, De Niro finally delivers the goods, but Weitz's script and De Niro's co-stars fail to elevate the material. Universal's Blu-ray release isn't an utter failure, though. With a spot on video transfer and a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, Being Flynn is at least worth renting, if only to see how wide the gap between De Niro and Dano extends.