Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Just Before I Go Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 19, 2015

Just Before I Go tells an uplifting tale of life and its value to oneself and to others. And it's a tale that's been told many, many times before. That lessens the message, but the movie is just good enough to keep the repetition from deadening it. Director Courtney Cox's debut feature feels cobbled together from, and in the same manner of, any number of smaller independents that examine the indelible mark people make on the world, even if they're too blinded by their own perceived failures and insecurities to notice. The film trudges through well-worn territory, brining nothing new to the table, but its sincerity, good performances, and easy, uplifting messaging prove just enough to carry it through the valleys of its own unoriginality.

Going...

Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) has decided to call it quits, to pack his bags and leave this cruel world on his own terms. He leads what he perceives to be a failed life. He's just entering middle age and he has no desire to go further in his dead-end existence. But before he offs himself, he decides to head back home, where all of his problem took root, and challenge the people who made his life hell. He reunites with his brother Lucky (Garret Dillahunt) who, after their father's death, took Ted under his wing but could never make for a suitable substitute. He confronts a dying old teacher (Beth Grant) who had it out for him and meets her granddaughter Greta (Olivia Thirlby) who sticks around to chronicle Ted's demise. He also reconnects with one of the only kind people from his youth, a woman named Vickie (Mackenzie Marsh). Meanwhile, Lucky's son Zeke (Kyle Gallner) experiences a personal crisis and Ted's own experiences may be his only hope and help out of it.

Just Before I Go works through uncomplicated, simple strokes that play with, and through, all of the expected permutations. Guy lives life, guy struggles with life, guy hates life, guy wants to end life, guy discovers that life still matters. The end. It's not that it's bad, it's that it's generic. Just Before I Go manages to build a feel-good story because basic humanity dictates that it feel good. Only the most cynical in the audience will be rooting for Ted to kill himself, and everyone will know that something -- probably even several things -- is going to happen to keep him from taking the plunge. Through it all, the film explores, in some of the simplest terms possible, the good that comes from rediscovering life, understanding that it has in fact mattered, and coming to terms with the idea that it can and will matter to oneself and to others. It shows that there are people who care, people whose lives have been touched -- even if it's in some almost intangible way -- by even the most invisible person's presence. It shows that there's always hope, always room to make things better, always someone in need of a hand. It shows that there are people who care, or will care, or that need someone to care. The movie plays with the idea that it's people -- togetherness -- that get one another through life, not the solitary individual who, yes, may have been burned but who just hasn't had the opportunity to realize the full potential of his or her being.

And none of that is a problem. It's all well and good, all of it quality life advice presented in the cinematic form. The problem isn't with the story, the characters, the drama, the message. The problem is that it's just too overdone. It seems every week there's some cheery indy with the same basic message about finding the good by wading through the bad, about never giving up, about realizing there's a bigger and better world out there just waiting to be found. The challenge of keeping the audience, then, lies with the cast. Seann William Scott satisfies in the lead part, carrying the character's baggage with enough credibility to help make it mean something by the end as the film predictably works him full circle. Scott only manages the basics, which is all the script has on offer for him, but his presentation is agreeable. Most of the secondaries don't have ample room to shine, many of them serving only as props to push the story and the lead character to the end, but commendable are Olivia Thirlby and Mackenzie Marsh as the film's two female leads.

Just Before I Go Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Just Before I Go features a fine, if not fairly basic, 1080p transfer. The picture, sourced from a digital shoot, proves itself a good all-around performer that presents with commendable detailing and coloring. Various everyday textures are nicely presented and evenly so, with good complex facial features, fine clothing details -- including Lucky's police uniform stars and badges --various storefronts and other assorted building and material details around town, and rough natural terrain near film's end. There's a mild smoothness to the picture but never to the extent that it's harmful to basic details. Colors are even and pleasant. Flesh tones push very slightly warm in spots but general hues on clothes and natural greens are nicely presented, along with various assorted hues in more colorful locations such as a grocery store. Black levels are of no concern. Light noise is sprinkled throughout, but there's no other egregious maladies of note, like banding or aliasing. Overall, this is an unassuming (for this point in time in the BD lifecycle) but still satisfying presentation from Anchor Bay.

Just Before I Go Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Just Before I Go's soundtrack isn't very demanding, and it's no surprise that Anchor Bay's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack handles everything thrown its way with relative ease. The movie is largely a dialogue-intensive experience, and the spoken word unsurprisingly flows crisply and accurately from the center channel. Music plays with a fair little bit of heft at the bottom and solid general clarity through the upper ranges. Spacing is fine if not a little light on the surrounds. A few ambient effects, notably in an underwater sequence at film's start, are baseline satisfying and immersive, with a few other bits like screeching police sirens presenting with stable authority and accuracy.

Just Before I Go Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Just Before I Go contains only one supplement, an audio commentary track with Producer/Director Courtney Cox. In it, Cox opens with a discussion of the opening title song and follows with, largely, all of the basic commentary angles, including Gus Van Sant's insights, balancing dark drama and light comedy, additional score, cast, shooting locales, anecdotes, and more.

Just Before I Go Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Just Before I Go will appeal to the most emotionally vulnerable and audiences in search of a very simple, very straightforward feel-good movie, but even mildly jaded audiences will probably be put off, not because it's in any way bad, but because it's in all ways unimaginative. Just Before I Go does everything right but find a reason for the audience to care, to get involved, to emotionally invest. Sure it's a nice little journey and enjoyable in a vacuum, but the movie's been done before, sometimes better, sometimes worse, but the core hasn't evolved even a smidgen. Audiences in search of a lightly uplifting movie will find it a pleasurable diversion, and Anchor Bay's Blu-ray features quality video and audio for the journey. A commentary is the only supplement. Rent it on a figuratively (or literally) rainy day.