Lymelife Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Lymelife Blu-ray Movie Review

A thoroughly engaging exercise in discomfort.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner October 22, 2009

If you’re on this site, you already belong to a diverse community of film-lovers who can’t wait to debate and assess the merits of their favorite productions. Some members love a blood-drenched horror film, while others prefer the comfort of a tame romantic comedy. No matter your taste or interest, it becomes difficult to find newly released films that haven’t generated a peep on the forums. As a reviewer, I typically avoid any opinions on a film until after I’ve had the opportunity to watch it and formulate my thoughts. That becomes a far easier task when the film is a small independent production that never received much fanfare during its limited theatrical release. After all, how can anyone generate positive or negative buzz when so few people have actually seen the film?

Such is the case with Lymelife, the directorial debut from Derick Martini (from a script he wrote with his brother). Released initially at Sundance, the film was produced by Martin Scorsese (a man who clearly knows a thing or two about filmmaking talent), but never garnered enough attention to receive a wide theatrical release. Arriving on Blu-ray courtesy of Screen Media, Lymelife finally has the opportunity to claim the respect it deserves.

Next time, you might want to ask your wife before settling on a house...

Set in a sleepy suburb of Long Island during the late 1970’s, the film tells a poignant tale of two families with seemingly interconnected destinies. On the one side, we have Mickey and Brenda Bartlett (Alec Baldwin and Jill Hennessey), who continue to grow further and further apart with each passing day. Mickey has grand aspirations of building an empire as a house developer, but his wife seems more concerned with protecting and raising Scott (Rory Culkin), their 15-year-old son. Living just around the corner, is the Bragg family, consisting of Charlie and Melissa (Timothy Hutton and Cynthia Nixon), as well as their 15-year-old daughter Adrianna (Emma Roberts). Charlie was a successful businessman at one point, but following his affliction with Lyme Disease, he’s become a disheveled hermit, spending the majority of the day in his basement sanctuary. Forced to become the bread-winner of the family rather than an aging trophy wife, Melissa is offered a secretarial position by Mickey Bartlett. Entangled within the web of these two decaying families, we’re shown a budding romance between the children of the two couples, as they struggle with the harsh decisions that accompany adulthood.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since American Beauty wowed audiences with its shocking portrayal of suburban life. But whether you despised the film or found it surprisingly endearing, there’s no denying its popularity, and the impact it likely left on most viewers. Lymelife presents a story in the same vein, but avoids the over-the-top shock antics of its predecessor. I know I might offend some folks who hold American Beauty in high esteem (I’ll be sure to send Sam Mendes an apology card one of these days), but I found this to be a more convincing portrayal of difficult subject matter. In many ways, the reason it succeeds on a greater level, is because the story is told through the innocent eyes of youth, who want nothing more than a role model they can follow. Stumbling onto the revelation that his father is cheating on his fragile mother, the protagonist of the film is able to see his parents in a whole new light, casting away any hint of respect he once had. Not only is he robbed of his childhood as a result, but he begins to question his own weakness in dealing with the school bully, approaching girls, or simply standing up to his father. Even his tough-guy brother turns out to be a fraud, when Scott learns he’s not really in the military as a Navy Seal, and never managed to earn his father’s respect. These revelations act as guideposts for Scott to follow as he begins to question the cards he’s been dealt.

I could discuss the themes of the film until I’m blue in the face, but the best way to approach this film is with as little information as possible. The script by the Martini brothers offers a tremendous level of depth, heaping layer after layer onto the minds of the viewer, and leaving us wondering what will happen next. Like watching a train wreck as the cars pile upon one another, we witness the two families crumble under the weight of their own lies and inadequacies, until all that’s left is the core. Once we get to the core, we begin to notice there’s good in everyone, allowing us to see the situation from each character’s point of view. These are still severely flawed people, but their weaknesses make them all the more human.

Featuring exemplary production values, Lymelife is a details-driven film. The cinematography by Frank Godwin, coupled with the original musical score by Steven Martini, creates a world that feels both claustrophobic and carefree. Given my experience with other films in this genre, it’s a rare sight when the camera rests on an actor’s face, and simply allows them to convey their thoughts or emotions without dialogue. You know what they say, “a picture’s worth a thousand words”.

Equally impressive, is the acting from the amazingly talented cast. Whenever you have an ensemble cast comprised of seven main characters, chances are good you’ll have a stinker in the bunch. Add in a challenging script with a rollercoaster of emotional depth, and you need every actor to bring their A-game to the table. Thankfully, that’s exactly what we get with Lymelife. The Culkin brothers have officially shrugged off the stigma of their older brother’s fame, by turning in performances that could open doors for them in Hollywood. Emma Roberts escapes her Disney roots in her role as the Bragg’s rebellious daughter (if there was an award for most uncomfortable sex scene of the year, she should win), Jill Hennessey shows she has what it takes to make the leap from television to the silver screen, and Cynthia Nixon seems right at home with her continued frustration with men (cue the “Sex in the City” theme music). Saving the best for last, Alec Baldwin and Timothy Hutton give their strongest performances in years. During a scene around the midpoint of the film, the two men unintentionally meet in the local bar, and proceed to play a game of cat and mouse that sends shivers of discomfort down your spine. You expect something to happen that never does, but the intensity both men generate within that scene, carries into the rest of the film. I’d never dream of telling you how the film ends, but I’d wager you’ll still be thinking about it the next day.

Lymelife Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 21Mbps), Lymelife looks decent enough on Blu-ray, but suffers from a pair of noticeable deficiencies. At first glance, the film appears highly detailed and very attractive, but as you start digging deeper you'll begin to notice some strange blurring toward the vertical edges of some scenes. I first noticed the problem in the supermarket sequence where the two mothers appear on each side of the checkout aisle. Their silhouettes lack any hint of definition, almost appearing as if two images are superimposed upon one another. From that point forward, I kept a watchful eye for the problem to continue, but only noticed it from time to time. From a coloring standpoint, it appears the cinematography incorporates the use of yellow filters to create a vintage look. I wouldn't go so far as to call the spectrum drab, but it certainly doesn't have a vibrant quality to it. Rounding out the problems with the transfer, black levels lack sufficient depth, leading to weak differentiation in contrast gradients (most prevalent during darker interior scenes, such as the scene in the confessional booth). As a result, you'll notice a drop in shadow detail during a handful of scenes, diminishing the overall quality of the presentation. I know I'm describing the presentation with an overly harsh tone, but fans of the film will still find enough attractive qualities in the transfer to make this a worthy high-definition upgrade.

Lymelife Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For a DTS-HD MA track, this is a surprisingly quiet presentation. As the opening scenes played out, I gradually increased the volume on my receiver to match the sweet spot I usually go for. Once you have it turned up to sufficient levels, the intricacies of the audio track become more prevalent. I know I mentioned it earlier in this review, but I absolutely adore the soundtrack on this release, which invokes feelings of playful innocence littered with a loss of control. I know that description may sound odd, but when you take into account the emotional weight of the story itself, you'll begin to realize the rollercoaster ride is largely fueled by the musical score. Thankfully, the music in the film is well-defined in the lossless audio track, dancing cleverly throughout the sound field during the many extended shots of the Long Island setting. Unfortunately, the same positive attributes don't bleed into the dialogue, which often comes across a bit soft. This is a quiet, dialogue-heavy film, that's occasionally punctuated by outburst from the main characters. During the less robust scenes, the dialogue from Rory Culkin and Alec Baldwin requires a keen ear on the part of the viewer. Likewise, I had a tough time understanding the dialogue in a handful of sequences where the ambient environmental noise threatened to overshadow the dialogue. Most of these issues are likely related to the original sound recording (this is a low budget production after all), so I can't be too upset when it doesn't contain the same level of sound dynamics we're accustomed to. Lastly, I'd suggest you go into this with reasonable expectations for surround activity. There's not much action to speak of (aside from a couple of gunshots), so the only effects that reach your rear speakers are subtle environmental sounds (in addition to the musical elements).

Lymelife Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Alternate Ending (1080p, Dolby Digital 5.1, 19:48 min): I'm not sure why this segment runs 20 minutes in length, since the final 30 seconds are the only difference from the theatrical ending. For anyone disappointed in the open-ended nature of the ending used in the film, this alternate version answers any questions you might have.

Deleted Scenes (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:39 min): Most of these offerings are simply extensions to scenes already included in the film. I didn't find much value here, but die-hard fans might disagree.

Last up, we have a low-key feature length audio commentary with Derick Martini (writer/director) and Rory Culkin. A good portion of the commentary involves Culkin giggling nervously as he watches himself, and Martini anxiously awaiting his favorite parts from the film. I'm usually a proponent of audio commentary tracks, but this one doesn't rank very high on my list.

Lymelife Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Most writers and directors spend years developing and honing their skills in order to eventually create a masterpiece. The Martini brothers managed to accomplish that elusive task on their first stab. Full of uncomfortable themes and punctuated with glimmers of hope, I was thoroughly engaged from start to finish. Having said all of that, the film certainly won't appeal to everyone, since the overall subject matter is a bit depressing. If you feel comfortable with dark comedies that contain a healthy dose of drama, I'd highly recommend Lymelife as an addition to your collection.