Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Ceremony Blu-ray Movie Review

Don't Stand On . . . On Second Thought, Please Do!

Reviewed by Michael Reuben October 24, 2011

Actors see many dull, conventional scripts; so it's understandable when they warm to something that challenges them with a character they haven't been offered a hundred times before. Unfortunately, quirkiness on the page doesn't necessarily translate into an engaging film. The level of directorial and editorial skill required to pull off something unconventional is usually greater than that needed to spin a familiar yarn, and Ceremony is a classic demonstration. The film is essentially a four-character drama, played out over a single weekend, and the biggest challenge for a filmmaker is that every one of the characters is either a jerk or a mess (or both). It's certainly possible to engage an audience with such a cast of dramatis personae -- comedies do it all the time -- but it takes a sure directorial hand, and writer-director Max Winkler, making his feature film debut, doesn't yet have one. Ceremony strains under the weight of its accumulating character tics, and though its talented cast succeeds in making something of the weirdness by the end of the film, most viewers probably won't last that long.

Winkler has described Ceremony as a "reverse coming-of-age tale", in which a boy who's trying to pretend that he's a man discovers that he's just a boy. I suppose that's as good a description as any of Sam Davis (Michael Angarano), an aspiring writer of children's books -- I think. It's never entirely clear whether Sam has published anything or, indeed, what he lives on. As the film opens, he's giving a reading (if you can call it that) from his latest work at a sparsely attended (if you can call it that) session at a Manhattan library. The story is a grim (or Grimm) tale involving a diver, a mermaid and lots of blood and death. It seems entirely inappropriate for children, but Sam's friend, Marshall (Reece Thompson), loves it. Or maybe he just loves seeing Sam again, since they've been out of touch for almost a year, and Marshall doesn't understand why.

Marshall was the victim of a vicious mugging, and while he's recovered from the physical injuries, he remains unsure of himself and uncomfortable in crowds. Venturing out to see Sam was a big step, and so Marshall is thrilled when he's able to persuade Sam to let him tag along on a weekend getaway to what Sam describes as a luxury Long Island resort. In reality, Sam has preyed on Marshall's neediness to trick him into checking into a fleabag tourist trap called the Little Mohican at off-season rates, because it just happens to be near the palatial home of successful documentary filmmaker Whit Coutell (Lee Pace). Why Whit Coutell? Because he's getting married that weekend to a woman named Zoe (Uma Thurman), and Sam is in love with her. From his nearby perch at the Little Mohican, Sam plans to crash the wedding and break it up.

This sounds like a classic comedy plot, one that's served as the foundation for successful films from The Philadelphia Story to My Best Friend's Wedding. Certainly the marketing for Ceremony played up this angle, because otherwise what was there? But the classic plot requires the bride and the romantic meddler to have some sort of relationship, and Zoe and Sam barely do. Indeed, Zoe herself is barely a character for much of the film. If she weren't played by an actress with Uma Thurman's looks and presence, she might vanish from the screen. Over the course of the film, Zoe's and Sam's prior history (if you can all it that) is gradually revealed, and it becomes clear that much of what has motivated Sam to this impulsive adventure exists only in his head (and on the pages of his latest, unpublishable children's book). And whatever Winkler may say the film was about, its focus gradually shifts from Sam to Zoe, because the way he discovers he's only playing at being adult is by convincing her that she, while much older, is doing the same thing.

Whoever and whatever Zoe is, she's consistent in the type of male she attracts; both her official groom and her would-be suitor are monsters of self-absorption who use other people as mirrors. The only difference between them is a matter of scale. Sam ignored his friend Marshall for the entire time he was recovering from his injuries, but as soon as he needed to affect a suave and confident exterior to infiltrate the festivities, he lured Marshall out of his convalescence to act as sidekick. Whit Coutell has made enough money as a documentary filmmaker (and won an Oscar, as he never tires of reminding everyone) to own a mansion where he can invite dozens of "friends" to celebrate his birthday, but they're really just multiple Marshalls. And as long as they'll all be there for the weekend acting as Whit's sycophants, why not have a wedding too? In Whit's world, Zoe gives new meaning to the term "trophy wife". Maybe that's why her brother, Teddy (Jake M. Johnson), wanders around the entire weekend soused and bitter. He's the only one not worshiping at the Cult of Whit. (It's Teddy who invites Sam and Marshall to crash the party.)

One of the biggest challenges with eccentric characters is introducing them to the audience in a way that makes their eccentricity understandable enough for viewers to at least suspend judgment long enough for the story to get underway. Ceremony doesn't make this effort (or doesn't make it enough) with three main characters, Sam, Marshall and Zoe, all of whom are indistinct and none of whom are leading their regular lives when we first encounter them. Whit is the only main character in his natural element, and the film spends most of its running time making him obnoxious and setting him up for a fall. Lee Pace, who was so effectively reserved as Pushing Daisies' piemaker, demonstrates equal skill at playing a jabbering egomaniac. Whit knows why Sam has crashed the wedding, but he's so supremely self-confident that he treats Sam like a yapping puppy dog without much of a yap. However, when the credits roll -- after more than a few distractions, including subplots that actually seem more promising than the main event (e.g., a possible wake-up call for Marshall and some interesting business with the bridesmaids) -- it's possible that Whit may have miscalculated. I'm not entirely sure. As seems to be his preference as a director, Winkler left it unresolved.

Ceremony Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Whatever problems the film may have, there's nothing to fault in Magnolia's Blu-ray presentation, which reflects their usual standard of work. The 1080p, AVC-encoded image is sharp, clean and detailed, with solid blacks, vivid but not overly saturated colors and just a hint of natural grain. While not digitally acquired, the image has all the virtues for Blu-ray of having been post-processed on a digital intermediate without excess fussiness or stylization. As is typical for such products, there were no signs of high-frequency filtering, transfer-induced ringing or other inappropriate digital tampering, nor did I spot any compression artifacts.

Ceremony Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS lossless track is fairly restrained in its use of the surrounds, which are limited to environmental ambiance. Dialogue is clear, and the lively score by Eric D. Johnson (who recently co-scored Our Idiot Brother) is well-represented.

Ceremony Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (SD; 2.35:1, non-enhanced; 2:11): There are three brief scenes. The longest and most interesting pays off the numerous early appearances of the maid at Whit's house.


• Outtakes (SD; 2.35:1, non-enhanced; 2:40): Mostly giggle fits.


• Extended Scene (SD; 2.35:1, non-enhanced; 2:37): A longer version of Teddy's toast to Zoe and Whit.


• Making of Ceremony (SD; 1.78:1, enhanced ; 21:47): This series of interviews with Winkler, Thurman and Angarano is longer and more intense than the usual EPK, but it's surprisingly uninformative. Instead of offering insights into the material or their working methods, the participants essentially sing each other's praises, at length.


• Max Winkler Makes Ceremony (SD; 1.78:1, enhanced; 8:18): Snippets of interviews with Winkler at various points during production, occasionally in split screen with on-set footage depicting what Winkler is describing. Producer Matt Spicer and Angarano are also interviewed.


• Behind the Scenes Footage (SD; 1.78:1, enhanced; 7:17): Cast and crew shoot the film's climactic outdoor scene.


• HDNet: A Look at Ceremony (SD; 2.35:1, enhanced; 4:36): This is the usual HDNet promotional piece for a Magnolia film, featuring interviews with Winkler and Angarano.


• A Year in a Tent - A Film by Whit Coutell (SD; 1.78:1, enhanced; 3:58): Whit's ludicrous documentary, of which only short glimpses are seen in the film.


• Also from Magnolia: At startup, the disc plays trailers in hi-def for Vanishing on 7th Street, Black Death, Assassins, Rubber and HDNet and HDNet Movies. These can be skipped with the top menu button and are also available from the features menu.

Ceremony Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Winkler, who is the son of Henry Winkler, clearly has ambition and he is not without talent, but he needs a producer, a co-writer or an editor (or all three) who will push him harder on narrative clarity. Otherwise, he risks being dismissed as a Wes Anderson wanna-be, although I suspect that, deep down, Winkler's voice is completely different, if he can only get it out. The Blu-ray is technically superior, but I can't recommend Ceremony.