Knight of Cups Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Knight of Cups Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 24, 2016

At this point, it’s clear that whatever writer/director Terrence Malick wants to do with his movies, he’s just going to do. There are no producers, stars, or low box office returns that can throttle his interest in esoteric journeys of sight and sound, returning to the screen with “Knight of Cups,” which resembles nearly every film he’s previously made. After years of dormancy, Malick has suddenly become the Woody Allen of impenetrable cinema, issuing odysseys into the mind and depths of space with surprising frequency, playing to his fan base with habitual interests and familiar technical achievements. On the Malickian scale of confusion and artfulness, “Knight of Cups” has a great deal of passion for itself. However, it’s not something that’s casually approached, with those unable to tune into Malick’s point of view rewarded with another wandering spirit of a feature, and one that’s content to recycle the helmer’s particular brand of soul-searching.

I wish I could share a brief synopsis of “Knight of Cups,” but the film doesn’t lend itself to the practice. Instead of tracking Rick’s (Christian Bale) adventures through life as a Hollywood player, “Knight of Cups” wanders through his pained existence, watching the fractured man deal with a soured marriage to first wife Nancy (Cate Blanchett), struggle emotionally with his brother Barry (Wes Bentley) and his psychologically unraveling father Joseph (Brian Dennehy), and master forbidden love again with Elizabeth (Natalie Portman). Along the way, there’s a dalliance with model Helen (Frieda Pinto) and time spent in the company of playboy Tonio (Antonio Banderas), helping to cloud Rick’s headspace as his life takes on new complications, including affairs with Della (Imogen Poots) and stripper Karen (Teresa Palmer). Sliding into depression, fighting his thoughts and impulses, Rick experiences life through numerous highs and lows, providing shape to his unbalanced life.

“Knight of Cops” follows traditional Malick interests in literature and opera, but the focus here is on the practice of spiritual travel, with the story divided into chapters identified by specific tarot cards. Malick’s “script” (there’s little evidence of premeditated writing) concerns the journey of Rick, a “pilgrim” experiencing new emotional frontiers as he goes about his daily life, seemingly wandering through the width of time without purpose, only to generate a life lived as he passes from one encounter to the next. “Knight of Cups” doesn’t have a plot, it has scenes, and these moments are filled with character interactions that contain no drama, just performances. Malick’s pursued this aesthetic before, and to greater success, but here he’s emphasizing the stages of Rick’s trek as he comes across women who find him irresistible, friends who adore his company, and a nagging, unshakable feeling of isolation as every light in his life dims.

“Knight of Cups” is exhausting, especially for those who have grown fatigued of Malick’s one-note filmmaking mission. He’s essentially rehashing his accomplishments in “The Tree of Life” and “To the Wonder,” only here the subject is a privileged man who, despite all the comfort around him, can’t find his place in the world. Visually, it’s another parade of swirling camerawork, which wanders around locations looking to pick up on beats of euphoria, introspection, and bewilderment. Admittedly, it’s gorgeous work from Academy Award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who paints with light and color, laboring to fulfill Malick’s vision for heavenly glories on Earth (and a moment of the feature visits outer space). It’s hard to resist some of the imagery presented in “Knight of Cups,” which is a beautiful picture, but one that’s in dire need of thematic and dramatic shape, finding two hours of soul-searching, complete with a suspiciously brand-heavy trip to Las Vegas, exhausting when catharsis is portioned out in morsels and the lead character is a complete blank from start to finish.

Knight of Cups Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation has quite a mountain to climb when it comes to delivering Malickian visuals pulled from various film and video sources. There's nothing jarring about the viewing experience, which is largely free of distractions, save for some minor banding. Detail is comfortable and expressive, exploring various environments and facial surfaces with attention to textures, isolating aging and subtle emotions. Locations are also crisp, handling expanse with encouraging clarity, permitting study of swirling shots for those more academically inclined. Colors are pleasant, with compelling primaries that help to bring out the energy of costuming choices and landscapes. Skintones are natural. Delineation struggles with a few scenes that explore limited lighting, but remains acceptable.

Knight of Cups Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix approaches a complex design that favors a tight layering of voices, but dialogue exchanges remain easy to decode, handling accents and hushed performances well. Performances are secure, blended well with scoring efforts, which rarely flare up and command attention, remaining collected and mysterious, presented deeper in the track. Surrounds are utilized well for environmental changes and the bustle of parties, while an opening earthquake scene introduces more aggressive manipulation that's enveloping. Low-end is active and insistent, often adding a subtle rumble to the listening event. Atmospherics are generous and welcome, identifying the movement of life Malick is reaching for with particular attention to the presence of nature.

Knight of Cups Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Making of 'Knight of Cups'" (16:02, HD) is a valuable look at the creation of the picture, which helps with interpretation needs, with gathered cast and crew making sure to distance themselves from any single summation of the picture. Interviewees include Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Imogen Poots, Teresa Palmer (who's by far the most enthusiastic and amusing contributor), Antonio Banderas, Frieda Pinto, Nick Offerman, and Thomas Lennon, and they all attempt to explain what life is like on a Terrence Malick set, exploring the director's obsession with improvisation and surprise, with most of the cast sharing tales of initial on-set disorientation. The featurette is primarily about celebrating Malick, but production achievements in costuming, cinematography, and set design are offered. Interestingly (and predictably), Malick is nowhere to be found here, even in carefully edited BTS footage, extending the helmer's insistence on mystery, though Palmer does reveal that he enjoys a celebratory fist-bump when the moment calls for one.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Knight of Cups Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Malick soaks "Knight of Cups" in voiceover work from the cast, steamrolling over performances with intrusive inner thoughts that don't actually illuminate anything burning within these broken people. However, it's the Malick way, and he strictly adheres to creative interests, despite their limited potency when bled dry of meaning. Select viewers are sure to find the feature a religious experience, and such indefatigable patience should be rewarded with a medal. "Knight of Cups" certainly isn't a career low for Malick, but it does identify a growing dependence on formula to generate a desired artful outcome. There are only so many swaying close-ups, droning thoughts, self-aware performances, and frustrating fragments of drama one can take before complete disinterest sets in.