For No Good Reason Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

For No Good Reason Blu-ray Movie Review

Any reason is a good reason to check out this excellent film.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 29, 2014

All I've done is made something that's part of a frame of mind I might be in at the moment. What a terrible thing.

There are two famous saying about art. One is that "art imitates life" and the other is that "a picture is worth a thousand words." In the case of Ralph Steadman, both appear to be true. The English-born artist and longtime friend of and collaborator to acclaimed Novelist Hunter S. Thompson (author of the work that inspired Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) is the subject of For No Good Reason, a Documentary chronicling his life, his work and style, his inspirations, his life and times with Thompson, and several additional pursuits beyond art. Featuring Johnny Depp (who starred in Fear and Loathing) as the connection between Steadman and the viewing audience, the film is a fascinating journey inside one of the most unique minds and creative geniuses of the 20th century, a man whose art is as beautiful as it is disturbing and whose desire to "change the world" extends well beyond the tip of his brush.

Mr. Steadman.

Ralph Steadman says he wanted to "change the world" through his artwork. That's a lofty goal to be sure, and the picture chronicles how he made that happen, in his own way. It circles back to his arrival in the United States in 1970 and his photographic quest throughout New York City. It looks back at his first collaboration with Author Hunter S. Thompson, the birth of "Gonzo" journalism, and their drug- and alcohol-fueled endeavors and the subsequent enhancement of their relationship. It examines Steadman's artistic inspirations -- Rembrandt, Da Vinci, and Picasso -- as well as his anti-authoritarian stance and further creative endeavors beyond the canvas, including his manipulation of Polaroid photographs.

Documentaries about artists are pretty big right now, if the sheer number of releases is any indication. Just recently, audiences have been treated to several good ones, including Cutie and the Boxer, the fantastic Tim's Vermeer, and even Jodorowsky's Dune, the latter still an "artist" film even if not in the same focused field as the others. In For No Good Reason, audiences are treated to an inside, intimate look at the artist's life and work in perhaps more detail than any of the other films. The blend of artistic genius and the beautifully chaotic insanity that so often defines the finished product -- combined with the artist's presented retrospective history and life story -- builds a flavorful character study that's not completely fleshed out but that certainly provides enough information for the audience to, from a distance, psychoanalyze the artist and attempt to piece together the broader brushstrokes that appear on the paper with the more intimate, inward nuances that appear on the canvas known as the soul. Perhaps viewers won't leave the film truly knowing or understanding Steadman, but they will at least be armed with a set of personal principles and opinions that, together with the works of art, allow for some interesting interpretations of a man who yearns to change the world and produces some of the most beautifully grotesque works of art that world has ever known.

For all the details the film provides and events it only more or less glosses over, it does an excellent job of bringing the audience into Steadman's world and head. There's a fascinating sequence in which he guides Depp -- and his audience -- through his processes as a painter, focusing a little more on the physical side of the process rather than the mental, but it's great to simply see Steadman working and, in a way, watch as the "aha!" moment takes shape in his mind and translates to the canvas. He begins with a splash and a splotch of paint that slowly but surely transforms into a wondrous work of art, certainly not a work for all tastes -- it's as macabre as it is masterful (something he admits he wishes he hadn't created) -- yet there's something special about the way he produces a painting that's an extension of his mind and subconscious soul, something that evolves as he evolves in the moment, he influenced by the paint and the paint influenced by him. The film works well in its other pursuits -- in sharing the story of Steadman's history with Hunter -- but it's in the raw moments painting that represent the film at its best. When Steadman finishes one of his works, Johnny Depp can be seen lightly shaking his head in awe and disbelief of the creation that sits before him. That shake defines the entire movie and the Steadman artistic experience, really, that man is capable of such grace and perfection even in such raw, unrefined finished form.

For No Good Reason Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For No Good Reason's 1080p transfer isn't perfect, but it largely satisfies within the film's parameters. Generally, Sony's transfer provides solid textural object details, including canvases, photographs, facial features, and clothing lines. It's mostly rather flat in that HD video sort of way, but there's at least a good bit of life to paint and canvas. Colors are even and eye-catching, particularly as they're applied to the canvas either alone or blended into the larger surrounding painted area. The transfer finds some minor difficulties with Steadman's glasses on a couple of occasions, producing a wavy edging on the frames and false colors along the same track. Otherwise, the image looks good in every area concern. Viewers should be pleased with the results.

For No Good Reason Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For No Good Reason features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's a bit more active than one might expect of an art documentary and biography. There's good, deep bass to open, matched with airy, evenly spaced notes. The track yields a good assortment of added sound effects that enhance a number of scenes. An airplane heavily rumbles across the stage when the film recounts Steadman's journey to New York in 1970. Some Kentucky derby background din proves pleasing to the ears, and the turmoil of the Nixon/Vietnam era montage enjoys good power, particularly in the sounds of helicopters and bombing runs over Vietnam. There's some fun, spontaneous surround sound in chapter twelve. Otherwise, the track is primarily dialogue driven. The spoken word plays neatly and firmly from the center channel. This is a solid all-around audio presentation from Sony.

For No Good Reason Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For No Good Reason contains a solid array of bonus content.

• Audio Commentary: Director Charlie Paul and Producer Lucy Paul speak on specific details of the film's structure, basic approach to telling the story, and plenty of surrounding details, including music in the film, recreated scenes, shooting styles, photographing Ralph at work, Charlie Paul's personal history with Ralph Steadman, and more. Charlie Paul occasionally does little more than retell the story as it appears on screen, but it's generally a well-spoken track that further enhances the For No Good Reason experience.
• Toronto International Film Festival Q&A with Ralph Steadman and Charlie Paul (1080i, 28:20): Moderator John Northcott hosts the star and director at TIFF.
• Cherrywood Cannon (1080p, 7:28): A reading of an animated version of Steadman's book.
• Extended Interviews (1080p): With Bruce Robinson (6:01), Richard E. Grant (3:36), and Terry Gilliam (8:27).
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Art School (2:13), Ralph's Song (4:44), Ralph's Studio (0:59), Dogs (1:42), Cathedrgog (2:21), and The Blot Symphony (6:48).
• For No Good Reason Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:59).
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

For No Good Reason Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For No Good Reason paints a satisfying portrait of one of the most bizarre artists of the 20th century. A man whose creativity yields art that is simultaneously beautiful and hideous and a man who shared countless adventures with Writer Hunter S. Thompson, a biographical Documentary seemed all but inevitable. For No Good Reason delivers. Satisfying in every way and particularly fascinating in its depiction of Steadman's mental, emotional, and physical artistic process that are realized on-screen in the production of several works of art, the film will capture the imagination of anyone who appreciates fine art and a fascinating life story. Sony's Blu-ray release of For No Good Reason delivers solid video, strong audio, and a healthy assortment of extra content. Highly recommended.