Daddy Longlegs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Daddy Longlegs Blu-ray Movie Review

An uncut gem.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 18, 2022

Known more recently for their A24 films including Good Time and especially Uncut Gems, the Safdie brothers made their first big splash with the 2009 semi-autobiographical film Daddy Longlegs, even winning Independent Spirit's John Cassavetes Award that year. Starring their long-time co-writer and co-editor Ronald Bronstein and real-life brothers Sage and Frey Ranaldo (whose father Lee was a founding member and guitarist for Sonic Youth), it's an uncomfortable two-week journey to the depths of irresponsible fatherhood in the heart of New York City. Filmed in 16mm with a true vérité aesthetic, Daddy Longlegs reminds us that self-centered behavior isn't something you just age out of.

Perhaps a distant, working-class nephew of Gene Hackman's Royal Tenenbaum, recently divorced movie projectionist Lenny (Bronstein) has just begun his annual two-week sole custody of sons Sage and Frey (the Ranaldos), much to the the dismay of their substantially more responsible mother Paige (Leah Singer, the boys' real-life mom). Red flags can be spotted immediately regarding both Lenny's parenting style and overall behavior which includes arguing with their principal (Victor Puccio), berating a homeless man, and putting just ketchup on a hot dog. After temporarily breaking up with his sometimes girlfriend Leni (Eleonore Hendricks) and meeting a young bar patron named Roberta (Dakota Goldhor), he takes the boys along on an impromptu trip upstate with her boyfriend Aren (Aren Topdjian), who's none too pleased about the extra riders. A scheduling mix-up at work results in Sage and Frey running around the theater and making 999 copies of a vulgar comic strip which end up blowing away outside. Lenny's irresponsible neighbor Jake (Jake Braff) barely watches the boys while he and Leni meet up for a evening reunion, which ends with her impulsively running down an empty subway tunnel. You know, normal stuff you do while the kids are sleeping.

Daddy Longlegs takes a slightly darker turn -- and I tread lightly into spoiler territory -- during its second half, when Lenny gives the boys a small dose of sedative to keep them asleep while he pulls an all-nighter at the movie theater, only to find them comatose the following morning. It's here where Lenny goes into full denial mode: after getting the boys checked out by a very reluctant doctor friend who makes house calls, he's assured of their long-term safety but is afraid to stay by their side, engaging in reckless behavior that even finds him temporarily behind bars for the weekend. With the end of his two weeks quickly approaching, Lenny has shown almost no character growth and even seems to be going backwards. This isn't a man who forgot how to be a father, he's probably always been this bad.

During this marathon of awful parenting, we see Lenny's tenuous love for his kids get totally undercut by an inability to think more than five minutes ahead. It's a bracing and yes, uncomfortable experience that may just be too much for new and experienced parents alike, yet Bronstein's absolutely magnetic lead performance -- combined with the Safdie brothers' claustrophobic filmmaking style -- makes Daddy Longlegs almost impossible to look away from, and even a little upset when it finally closes on a somewhat unresolved note... not because it's the wrong ending, but because you still want to see where these people end up. Although its most controversial moment (the sedative and its fallout) does genuinely flirt with "too far" territory, not to mention borderline unrealism, it was a plot turn vehemently defended by the Safdies during filming even though the boys' real-life mother initially protested its inclusion. This again ties in to Daddy Longlegs' claim as a semi-autobiographical film... which means that parts of their presumably less-than-idyllic childhood, which was at least tied to a built-in love for movies, probably was stranger than fiction.

Uncomfortable or not, Daddy Longlegs is a terrific slice of do-it-yourself filmmaking that just might be the standout of Criterion's August releases... which, interestingly enough, also include Bronstein's 2007 directorial debut Frownland, whose review will be coming in the near future. But for now, Daddy Longlegs serves as a very well-rounded Blu-ray highlighted by a great overall packaging design and a nice pile of retrospective and vintage bonus features.

Daddy Longlegs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's 1080p transfer of Daddy Longlegs comes from a 4K scan of the 16mm film's digital intermediate, resulting in a grain-heavy and colorful 1.78:1 picture that's opened up from its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. It's a pleasing effort at first glance, especially for those who appreciate the dense textures created by this type of stock, yet a few drawbacks keep it from scoring higher. First, the good: Daddy Longlegs' aggressively hand-held cinematography -- which may just beat The Bourne Supremacy for the title of "shakiest shaky cam" -- flows smoothly with no apparent ghosting, frame rate issues, or excessive noise reduction. Colors and film grain, as mentioned earlier, are boldly dominant, leaving quite a first impression that adds to its throwback visual aesthetic. Black levels are also consistently deep and punchy, even avoiding almost all instances of banding and crush during even the most challenging scenes, such as car headlights pointing directly at the camera or fluorescent lights cutting through an otherwise dark apartment.

The two exceptions to this otherwise great transfer are (1) light macro-blocking and other compression issues, and (2) occasional dust, dirt, and even scratches that appear regularly as white marks. The first is likely a result of less-than-ideal disc encoding, which doesn't usually play well with Daddy Longlegs' grainiest sequences and, while not all that distracting in-motion, can still be noticed fairly easily. The second is even more surprising in its regularity and, unless left intentionally (after all, this transfer was not only director-approved but similar marks were clearly added to some of the extras' title cards), seems like it could have easily been fixed after the intermediate's scan. It's not all that startling given the film's lived-in appearance, but addressing this damage would've been an improvement.

Daddy Longlegs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The film's workmanlike LPCM 2.0 Stereo mix is no sonic tour de force but nonetheless a capable and trouble-free track that balances clear dialogue with background effects and, on rare occasions, diegetic music and even occasional "real" soundtrack cues that overtake everything else. It's fortunate that some sort of faux-surround mix was not attempted here, as I'm of the opinion that this front-forward track actually adds to Daddy Longlengs' occasionally overpowering sense of sonic claustrophobia. Overall, a solid effort that gets the job done with few flourishes.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only.

Daddy Longlegs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Criterion's packaging aesthetic is right on the money for Daddy Longlegs with lo-fi cover art, an intimate inner print, and a stapled insert booklet with the boutique label's usual fare (an essay by film critic Stéphane Delorme, behind-the-scenes photos, a cast/crew list, and A/V technical specs) done up in the style of a photocopied print-out preceded by a "Parenting Skills Evaluation"; it's credited to a Virginian clinical psychologist named Oren S. Lang, who is presumably fictitious. There's also a reprinted text interview with the Safdie brothers from 2009. As usual, the on-disc extras are outstanding, offering a nice mixture of retrospective catch-up, vintage material, and playful diversions.

• Family Affair: Sage, Frey, Leah & Lee (25:00) - Similar to the "Life After..." reunion from Hoop Dreams, this new featurette catches up with the two young boys from the film, as well as their parents, who reflect on the chance encounter that led to movie stardom as well as the film's production, release, and legacy.

• The Universe is Out There: Josh and Benny Safdie (54:55) - This 2017 documentary by filmmaker Michael Chaiken, produced and filmed for The Criterion Channel during production of the Safdies' Good Time, serves as a portrait of the brothers via comments from their frequent collaborators, other contemporaries, and even their father Alberto, who speaks about raising his sons and the emotional impact of Daddy Longlegs.

• Supervised Visit (1:39) - Test footage of Sage and Frey Ranaldo's early interactions with Ronald Bronstein, made to develop a more authentic on-screen relationship while testing out filters and lenses.

• Deleted Scenes (16:27 total) - Eight short clips including "Pizza and TV", "Dale and Leni", "Mr. Mouth", "Suspension Vacation", The Party at Norbert's", "Go Crazy", "The Tow Truck" and "The Saddest Sandwich", each presented in rough-looking 1080p with Dolby Digital mono audio.

• Second Stop from Jupiter (12:28) - This short 2011 documentary by filmmaker Becky Luxani offers a brief look at Daddy Longlegs' filming and is narrated by Sage and Frey Ranaldo's mother, Leah Singer.

• CNN Breaking: Benny Safdie Boards Plane to Portugal (0:38) - A short goof-off teaser promoting Daddy Longlegs' US theatrical premiere at New York City's IFC Center on May 14, 2009.

• Why? [This Movie Exists] (2:31) - More promotional footage, this 2009 piece by the Safdie brothers follows Benny, on the streets of NYC, desperately promoting the film's same theatrical debut.

• There's Nothing You Can Do (3:59) - A guerilla-style short film made by the Safdies before Daddy Longlegs' filming began, this uncomfortable social experiment features a few of their frequent collaborators.

• Talk Show (10:32) - Encapsulating Josh and Benny Safdie's early-2000s collaborations with the New York-based artist collective Red Bucket Films, this lo-fi 2010 piece (created, directed, and edited by Daddy Longlegs' production designer Sam Lisenco) features the brothers flanked by a few key cast and crew members.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:05) - This excellent promotional piece can also be seen here.

Daddy Longlegs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Josh and Benny Safdie's Daddy Longlegs is a raw, effective semi-autobiographical film with strong hints of greatness so, even though it's very uncomfortable in the moment (and a bit unrealistic, despite its lived-in vérité aesthetic), the end result turns out to be an unforgettable slice-of-life experience. Criterion's welcome Blu-ray, arriving almost a full year after their 4K treatment of the Safdies' Uncut Gems, follows suit with a mostly solid A/V presentation, great packaging, and a fine set of extras. Recommended, but even more so for established fans of the filmmaking duo.