Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Comfort and Joy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 11, 2016

Bill Forsyth's "Comfort and Joy" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include three brand new video interviews with director Bill Forsyth and actors Bill Paterson and Clare Grogan. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The loopy DJ

Dicky Bird (Bill Patterson, The Witches) has a perfect life. He is in a relationship with a beautiful woman (Eleanor David, Sylvia), people love his radio show, and he drives a fancy red BMW that most men don’t even dream to own. There are days when Dicky secretly pinches himself because he can’t believe how lucky he is.

But when on Christmas Eve Dicky’s girlfriend announces that she has had enough of him and leaves, he is abruptly forced out of his comfort zone. At first Dicky attempts to remain calm, but his mind begins playing tricks on him and he becomes seriously depressed. At work he also has trouble concentrating on his work.

Dicky’s life becomes even more complicated when he accidentally becomes entangled in a dirty war between two ice cream producers, Mr. Bunny and Mr. McCool. Dicky does his best to end the conflict, but the two rivals quickly dismiss his mediation efforts and warn him that it will be in his best interest to choose a side and stick with it.

Comfort and Joy has the same raw quality that makes Bill Forsyth’s That Sinking Feeling and Gregory's Girl special. More often than not it looks like a low-budget documentary feature with only a few pre-scripted segments that add a good dose of flavor.

Whether or not one enjoys the film depends largely on one’s response to this flavor. It is genuinely Scottish and it mixes comedy and drama in a very unorthodox way. There are segments in which the comedy is fairly straightforward, but elsewhere it is actually used to highlight the absurdity of a realty that people like Dicky no longer seem to recognize. So there is a unique balance between comedy and drama that may not appeal to everyone.

Because Forsyth does not attempt to produce any profound observations about his country and its unusual contrasts, the film remains light and brisk. It also helps that Forsyth does not judge the main characters and the logic behind their actions; on the contrary, he embraces them and their logic because with the type of dilemmas they face many of the cliched rights and wrongs become absolutely irrelevant.

The performances are appropriately relaxed and honest. Paterson can look a bit silly at times, but it is a silliness that comes naturally and feels right. Ricky Fulton plays the experienced radio station boss who begins to question Dicky’s sanity after he repeatedly mentions Mr. Bunny in his early morning monologues. Clare Grogan is wonderful as the moody Italian girl that gets Dicky in trouble.

Forsyth shot the film with cinematographer Chris Menges, who a year later would win his first Oscar Award for his work on Roland Joffe’s The Killing Fields.

The soundtrack was created by the acclaimed guitarist, singer, producer and co-founder of Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler. It blends very beautiful '80s pop and jazz themes that work wonderfully for the intended atmosphere.

Comfort and Joy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bill Forsyth's Comfort and Joy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The release is sourced from a very good new 2K restoration of the film. Indeed, despite the fact that various segments were shot under different conditions and elsewhere light is captured in different ways by the camera, fluidity remains very pleasing. Obviously, some minor density fluctuations exist and are easy to spot, but they are part of the film's intended visual style (typically they are characterized by slight overexposure of the grain). There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Colors are stable and have a wonderful organic appearance. Image stability is excellent. A couple of very tiny flecks pop up, but there are no large debris, damage marks, cuts, stains, or warped frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Comfort and Joy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is outstanding. Admittedly, Mark Knopfler's soundtrack benefits the most from the lossless treatment, but even during seemingly casual exchanges it is easy to appreciate the excellent depth and balance. There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report in our review.

Comfort and Joy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Bill Forsyth - in this brand new interview, writer and director Bill Forsyth discusses the creative environment in which his early films emerged, the unexpected success of That Sinking Feeling, the production history of Comfort and Joy, the key themes in the film (the idea for the film was actually formed during the early '70s), his interactions with the cast and Bill Paterson's performance), etc. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Interview with Bill Paterson - in this brand new interview, actor Bill Paterson (Dicky) discusses his involvement with Comfort and Joy, the impact the film had on his life and career and its critical reception, Bill Forsyth's directing methods, some of the similarities and differences between That Sinking Feeling, Gregory's Girl, and Comfort and Joy, etc. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Interview with Clare Grogan - in this brand new interview, actress Clare Grogan (Charlotte) discusses her contributions to Gregory's Girl and Comfort and Joy, her work with Bill Forsyth and how it gave her the confidence and experience to pursue an acting career, the social climate in Glasgow during the early '80s, the moody Italian girl she played in Comfort and Joy, etc. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

Comfort and Joy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bill Forsyth's Comfort and Joy is as much about radio DJ Alan Bird and his struggle to restore balance in his life as it is about the ongoing transformation of his home town. A lot of people profile the film as a quirky comedy, but this isn't how Forsyth intended it to be seen. Clearly, it was a much more ambitious project than That Sinking Feeling and Gregory's Girl, but I think that they are a lot more effective. StudioCanal's release is sourced from a fantastic new 2K restoration of the film that will remain its definitive presentation. Consider adding it to your collections, but if you have not seen That Sinking Feeling and Gregory's Girl you should move them to the top of your purchase list. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.