Is Anybody There? Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Is Anybody There? Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 3, 2009

John Crowley's "Is Anybody There?" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The only supplemental features that you would find on their disc are the film's original theatrical trailer and a gallery of interviews with Michael Cane, Anne-Marie Duff, Bill Milner and John Crowley. Region-B "locked".

The old geezer

Is Anybody There? is a film about death and how two people deal with it. It is written by Peter Harness and directed by John Crowley whose Boy A earned him the prestigious Best Director (Fiction/Entertainment) award at the BAFTA Awards in 2007.

Ten-year-old Edward (Bill Milner, Son of Rambo) is obsessed with death. He wants to know what death looks like, why it exists and where it comes from. Edward also wants to know what happens when people die, where they go and, more importantly, can they come back? Edward lives in a retirement home together with his mother (Anne-Marie Duff, The History of Mr Polly) and father (David Morrissey, The Suicide Club).

A widowed magician, Clarence (Michael Caine, The Italian Job), moves in the retirement home. He attempts to commit suicide but Edward saves his life and the two become friends. The old man and the boy spend a lot of time together talking about what's on their minds - mostly death. Eventually, they share some of their most precious secrets. Meanwhile, Edward's parents go through a mid-life crisis that seriously shatters his idyllic world.

It can be successfully argued that Is Anybody There? is a film that tells two very different stories. The first one is about a young boy and his gradual realization that life and death are inexorably intertwined. This is a very painful process for the boy as he constantly losses friends who have been helping him understand death.

The second story is about an old man who struggles to understand life even though he pretends otherwise. He frequently goes through his memories about a loved one and blames himself for missed opportunities that could have dramatically changed his last days. It is a very painful process for the old man, similar to the one the boy and his helping friends are a part of.

Somewhat predictably, the boy and the old man connect when they bare their souls – yet this is the part of Is Anybody There? that works best. Their discussions about death, life and ghosts, in particular, are filled with symbolism that is very effective.

Some critics have torn apart Is Anybody There? and claimed that it is "a wasted opportunity" (Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle), but I side with those like Robyn Jankel (Eye For Film) who argue that: “One suspects that had this been an American film, it would have been bogged down with a miserable score and a conclusion that death is the ultimate tragedy. Instead, it becomes increasingly clear that the real tragedy is not to make the most of the time that we have.”

Indeed, in Is Anybody There? the boy and the old man reach exactly the same conclusion, though in their own unique way - the boy by seeing his parents in love again and the old man after he visits the grave of his beloved.

Technically, Is Anybody There? is a film that gets most everything right. The use of pastel colors, in particular, is most appropriate. The pacing is equally effective allowing one plenty of time to reflect on what is said throughout the course of the film. Joby Talbot's (Arctic Tale) music score is also very strong.

Is Anybody There? Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Crowley's Is Anybody There? arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Optimum Home Entertainment.

This is a lovely transfer! Contrast is good, clarity pleasing and detail strong. The color-scheme is very unique. Yellows, greens, blues, grays, blacks and whites are consistently warm-looking. In fact, the majority of Is Anybody There? looks like a giant dream sequence. Given the film's subject matter, I think that the color-scheme is very effective.

Neither edge-enhancement nor macrloblocking are a serious issue of concern with this transfer. There are no stability issues to report either. I also did not detect any overly disturbing debris, flecks, scratches, or stains. I also must note that I did not spot any traces of heavy digital noise reduction. On the contrary, there is plenty of natural film grain that you will notice. All in all, Is Anybody There? looks terrific on Blu-ray, and I have absolutely no problem recommending it to you. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" disc. Therefore, unless you have a native Region-B or Region-Free player, you won't be able to access its content).

Is Anybody There? Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0 and Descriptive Audio (Dolby Digital 2.0). I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English LPCM 2.0 track for the purpose of this review.

Is Anybody There Yet? isn't a film that offers plenty of opportunities for one to test the muscles of one's audio system. For the most part, it is a dialog-driven feature with a strong music score courtesy of Joby Talbot. This said, the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does not disappoint. The little bass activity present in the film is convincing and the high frequencies not overdone. There is very little movement in the surround channels (the crash scenes is probably the most effective one) as well. The dialog is crisp, clear and easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review. There are no balance issues either.

The English LPCM 2.0 track is rather good. In terms of dynamics, it is slightly less efficient. Still, I'd say that it allows for a decent viewing experience. For the record, the dialog is just as clear and easy to follow as it is on the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English HOH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it (single lines usually appear below the image frame).

Is Anybody There? Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: The supplemental features on this Blu-ray disc are in PAL. Therefore, you must have a player capable of converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV capable of receiving PAL signal, should you plan to view them in North America.

Interviews - four short interview with Michael Cane (9 min), Anne-Marie Duff (7 min), Bill Milner (5 min), and John Crowley (10 min). The actors recall how they were approached by the creators of Is Anybody There? and why they agreed to contribute to the film.

Trailer - the original UK theatrical trailer for the film.

Is Anybody There? Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Contrary to what some critics have claimed, John Crowley's Is Anybody There? is a very effective film. In fact, after I finished viewing it, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the old geezer Michael Cane plays and his dilemmas. Give it a try, you might end up enjoying it as much as I did. This being said, the UK disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Optimum Home Entertainment, looks and sounds very good. I would have loved to see more supplemental features, though. Recommended.