Love Is Strange Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Love Is Strange Blu-ray Movie Review

Is love's strangeness well defined in Ira Sachs' latest film?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 9, 2015

The focus of Love Is Strange, the new Romantic Drama from Writer/Director Ira Sachs (Married Life), appears to be its relative lack of focus on anything purposeful beyond a late-life snapshot of a newly married gay couple and the financial hardships that push the couple physically apart into two worlds, and around some well-meaning people, that welcome them but in which the new arrivals just don't fit. The movie ambles on with a fine allotment of actors carrying a relatively dry, uneventful story that hints at larger purposes throughout that never really come to fruition, at least not in a classic, tangibly presented sort of way. Arguably the absence of a spoon-fed narrative ups one's ability to relate to the characters, their predicaments, and even the subtly weaved charm that runs through the movie, but chances are most viewers will be left wondering what the purpose was beyond an effort to demonstrate the bonds of love in trying times through the prism of an ultra-contemporary lens.

Newlyweds.

Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) have been in love for four decades, and only now have they been able to tie the knot and fulfill their lifelong dream of marriage. Reality comes crashing down on them when George is fired from his position as a Catholic school music teacher for living in violation of the Christian witness statement, a document he signed upon employment that forbids homosexuality. The decision has come down from the top, leaving George without a job and the two forced to sell off their apartment and find a new place to live. That's not as easy as it seems; they're ultimately forced to split. Ben moves in with his nephew Elliot (Darren Burrows), Elliot's wife Kate (Marisa Tomei), and the couple's son Joey (Charlie Tahan), the latter of whom quickly comes to resent Ben's intrusion. Meanwhile, George crashes with a couple of friends who prove to be a bit more rowdy than he can stand. Will the split be too much for the newlyweds or will their bonds keep them together even at some distance apart?

While Love Is Strange doesn't fully meander -- there's an identifiable story that revolves around ideas of separation, financial hardship, and the way one's burden trickles down to the people who help -- it doesn't find a tightly knit narrative or driven purpose, either. Big city contemporary struggles center the movie and ground it, but they don't allow it, or better said as the film is structured so that they are not permitted, to take the movie somewhere dramatically interesting or thematically meaningful. The picture finds some charm amidst a fairly melancholy tale of separation that sees George caught in the middle of a world he doesn't fully understand and Ben stuck in a world where he's not fully welcome. It's about the necessary exit of one's comfort zone and the trials that follow. The movie appears content to simply tell that story, then, without digging too deeply beyond the surface. There's a tangible sense of loss throughout the film; Ben and George aren't themselves when they're apart, but that connection never feels much deeper than the surface, at least as it's scripted. The picture further hints at ideas on standing tall for one's beliefs, though again such seems left largely as a tangential, at best, anecdote in a whole that never comes together with an identifiable purpose.

Where the film works, however, is in its casting. Lithgow and Molina, two of the better actors out there, manage to squeeze out of their respective parts a bit of real heart, honest chemistry, and a palpable sense of loss and separation when they're apart. Their presence and dedication to their roles substantially elevate the film, and they convey more -- together and separate -- than the script tells them to show. Yet they can only carry it so far before the burden of the film's emptiness catches up even to their impressive performances. The film eventually swallows them up into a murky purgatory of sorts where they're stuck trying to pull something out of a void. None of the other characters are particularly well developed, even though the trio of Elliot, Kate, and Joey become focal points for the movie as Ben becomes unwanted yet inseparable from their daily lives, interrupting Joey's routine and finding himself caught up in family drama. On the other hand, George's co-habitants are never much of a focus beyond their portrayal as people around whom George comes to learn aren't exactly compatible with what he wants out of life, and particularly what he needs, which is only reunification with Ben. The end, to the movie's credit, feels about as wayward as the rest of the film, perhaps reinforcing what appears to be the central idea, only realized in the final moments, speaking on life's unpredictability and that the best one can do is enjoy it while it lasts and make the best of whatever life has to offer, good, bad, or indifferent.

Love Is Strange Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Love Is Strange features a 1080p presentation that's not amongst the best the format has seen. That said, it earns passing grades all around with issues that are evident but not deal breakers. The image often appears pasty and flat, lacking the sort of tangible, precise details viewers of higher end shoots and Blu-ray transfers have enjoyed in the past. Rooftop sequences that see Ben at work with his paints present the best of the best the transfer has to offer, finding tactile, complex urban landscapes and showcasing precision clothing and facial features. Elsewhere, the image frequently lacks flavor, particularly in lower-light or bland interiors. Colors, likewise, follow suit, appearing sufficiently vibrant and true in the best-lit moments but lacking in crisp, lifelike authenticity elsewhere. Black levels frequently struggle to find a natural balance, as do flesh tones. Light banding may be seen across a few interior backdrops, while minor to moderate noise interferes with several shots. The image doesn't dazzle, but it generally satisfies basic requirements and modest HD expectations.

Love Is Strange Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Love Is Strange arrives on Blu-ray with a straightforward DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation is heavy on dialogue and light on just about everything else. The spoken word flows with commendable effortlessness and accuracy from the center channel. Light piano music enjoys rich, lifelike clarity as it softly floats along the listening area's front end. The only major example of more robust music comes in chapter 13 when some deliberately muddled background dance beats power into the stage. The track produces some scattered, and very minor, background city ambiance, such as squealing brakes and light traffic movement. Overall, this is a technically sound but aurally reserved listen from Sony.

Love Is Strange Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Love Is Strange contains a commentary, a making-of, and a Q&A. No DVD or digital copies are included.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Ira Sachs and Actors John Lithgow and Alfred Molina offer a track that feels more substantial than the film, with plenty of keen and smart observations on the story, the performances, technical details, story specifics, and more. Fans, as well as viewers looking for the film's meaning, will certainly find much to enjoy in this track.
• What is Love: Making of Love is Strange (1080p, 23:21): A look at story origins and ideas, cast and chemistry, characters, Sachs' direction and style, Sachs' relationship with his cinematographer, the artwork depicted in the film, and more. The piece also features a good bit of raw on-set footage.
• LA Film Fest Q&A with John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Cheyenne Jackson and Director Ira Sachs (1080p, 24:58): The participants, moderated by LAFF Artistic Director David Ansen, field a number of questions about the film.
• Love Is Strange Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:07).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Love Is Strange Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Love Is Strange might have been something special were it not for its lack of anything overtly meaningful. Perhaps the film's point can be whittled down to "life," as in it's a give-and-take sort of affair through which one must cope to the best of his or her abilities, and that real comfort can only be found in the arms of those who are closest. But the film often feels aimless, telling a story that has no plainly evident arc, or at least one that rises very high and does something substantial with the material. It's saved by a couple of excellent lead performances but is otherwise an example of unfulfilled potential. Sony's Blu-ray release of Love Is Strange features adequate video and basic audio. Several extras are included. Rent it.