Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Master Gardener Blu-ray Movie Review

Hitler's lonely man.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 14, 2024

The third film in five years from celebrated writer-director Paul Schrader, Master Gardener treads similar territory to his previous work by exploring themes of loneliness, regret, and redemption. This time it's by way of horticulturalist Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton), who tends the meticulous Gracewood Gardens under wealthy widow Norma Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver). Flanked by a small group of colleagues, Narvel mostly keeps to himself and lives on the Gracewood grounds, making entries in his journal while prepping for an upcoming charity auction. It's established early on, however, that he has a very dark past... and at the risk of spoiling a reveal that arrives about 20 minutes into the film, let's just say that ol' Narvel once enthusiastically subscribed to the belief system of a certain reviled German dictator.

Past tense is key here, because only the tattoos remain from Narvel's former life. He's otherwise completely rejected his former self and is now in Gracewood as part of a witness protection program, and "thoughtful attention to nature" seems to be his penitence for past actions. Regardless, his routine is disrupted one day when Norma instructs Narvel to take her adult grandniece Maya (Quintessa Swindell) under his wing. She's of "mixed blood" so Norma wants nothing to do with her and, even after Maya's arrival, the skeptical twenty-something doesn't feel like the slow, methodical pace of outdoor gardening will be a good fit for her interests. Nonetheless, Maya gives it a shot and ends up doing well... but after the relationship between teacher and student changes, Norma wants both of them gone at once. Now during their time away from Gracewood, Narvel and Maya must now face undesirable parts of their past head-on.

Master Gardener has a few interesting things to say about damage and regrowth, both of which are obviously tied to the very spirit of gardening, yet almost none of its characters experience any kind of arc that supports these themes. The central relationship between Narvel and Maya also gets disappointingly sexual way too fast, with the 20+ year age difference between both characters -- not to mention their obviously very different backgrounds -- making large parts of Master Gardener, including one very uncomfortable motel scene, feel like some sort of hackneyed male fantasy. The intermittently bad dialogue doesn't help matters either, giving it the vibe of a late-period Clint Eastwood movie (which are also typically guilty of "extreme age difference" relationships, but here it's not quite as off-balance).

That's not so say that, much like its central character, Master Gardner doesn't have a few redemptive qualities. It's suitably strong in the visual department with excellent cinematography, a real eye for detail, and is told in such a way that certain segments don't require dialogue to understand. Yet a decent-sized chunk of the film falls flat, due not only to the issues above but questionable pacing, which sees a handful of scenes drag on several minutes too long and a third act that really doesn't muster up enough steam to make its conclusion feel satisfying. This doesn't exactly make it an ideal candidate for an immediate rewatch, but Master Gardner at least carries enough cinematic weight in certain respects to be the kind of film you can't outright dismiss... even if you don't care for the entire thing.

While I clearly wouldn't classify this as some sort of hidden gem, more strident fans of Paul Schrader may be more receptive to its charms and those people may want to seek out Magonolia Entertainment's Blu-ray edition of the film. It's likewise not a total stunner in any category but at least serves up a solid A/V presentation and a short but well-meaning behind-the-scenes featurette. (Sadly, there's no director's commentary, unlike First Reformed.)

Master Gardener Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in a much wider 2.39:1 aspect ratio in comparison to his two previous films, First Reformed and The Card Counter, Master Gardener looks very good on Magnolia Entertainment's 1080p transfer, which earns a full BD-50 disc despite only having roughly two hours of total content. Not surprisingly given its subject matter, we're treated to no shortage of crisp outdoor footage of Gracewood Gardens in full bloom, where the textures of flower petals, dirt, and decorations make for a visually pleasing experience. This contrasts fairly well with the darker moments, both low-lit interiors and the colder urban locales in Narvel and Maya's trip back to her city, but everything looks uniformly good with excellent fine detail and good contrast levels. That said, I picked out moments of banding here and there without much trouble, as well as a bit of distracting black crush; the most noticeable was during a brief flight of fancy on the third-act car ride back to Gracewood. Overall, though, it's a solid effort and fans will be pleased.

Master Gardener Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I was a bit surprised to see a Dolby Atmos mix as the default option on Master Gardener and, despite the fact that it doesn't always take advantage of the format, this full-bodied presentation nonetheless offers more than a few sonic delights. Light but appreciated discrete effects dot the outdoor landscapes while sparse scenes shot inside the large master Gracewood house also liven up the rears, as do a few weather-related events and several stylistic flourishes. Dialogue is mostly anchored up front and sounds crisp, as do most of its foreground effects, and there's even a bit of room in the side and rear channels for echo and more crowded conversations. Stray music cues offer their own brand of support and sound full and rich. As hinted at earlier, the height channel don't get a ton of use here, but it's still a well-made track that, at the very least, won't be wasted on those who aren't equipped for the format.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the featurette below.

Master Gardener Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and minimal bonus features.

• Making of Master Gardener (16:18) - Director Paul Schrader (looking and sounding quite rough) and actors Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, and Quintessa Swindell briefly discuss the film's development and production, from casting to location shoots, and also share a bit about the characters and themes with plenty of supportive clips. It's a bit too surface-level to answer any lingering questions, but this one's still worth a once-over.

Master Gardener Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Writer-director Paul Schrader pauses his recent late-career winning streak with Master Gardener: certain elements of the story and its characters aren't very fleshed out, and the dialogue certainly could have used a bit of fine-tuning. But at the very least, there's weight to some of the performances and its visual storytelling is quite good, which means that anyone on the fence may not be able to brush it off completely. Magnolia Home Entertainment's Blu-ray offers some welcome support including a solid A/V presentation and one short but appreciated behind-the-scenes featurette. It's still not necessarily a great blind buy purchase, but die-hard Shrader fans will want to see it for themselves.