Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Micmacs Blu-ray Movie Review

This quirky little gem earns a strong Blu-ray release from Sony Pictures Classics.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 15, 2010

I live day to day.

What happens when Lord of War meets Terry Gilliam? Something along the lines of Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's (Amélie) Micmacs, a certifiably whacky picture that pits several highly talented misfits and outcasts against a pair of arms dealers whose goods have reshaped the destiny of one of the group's own. Think of any synonym for unorthodox -- unusual, avant-garde, eccentric, idiosyncratic -- and viewers might begin scratching the surface of what Micmacs is all about. The film finds a unique balance between simple and extraordinarily complex; the plot is, at its core, one of revenge, but it's how the movie gets there -- reveling in the work of an absurdly delightful cast of characters as they tinker around the fringes of junkyard science and innovation, using their unique talents and colorfully off-center ways against the bad guys -- that makes it an unequivocal success and, just as important, a breath of fresh air in the terribly stale and commercial-driven world of high-dollar cinema. Micmacs isn't likely to appeal to some movie fans, but those who like to explore the fringes of the medium and find value in movies like The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will find a pleasurable and infinitely re-watchable little masterpiece of off-kilter adventure in Micmacs.

The hero can't die in the opening act!

In 1979, a man is killed disarming a landmine in the Western Sahara. His remains and belongings are returned to his family for the funeral. His young son, Bazil, finds amongst the box of trinkets a photograph that bears a distinctive symbol, one that he's certainly never going to forget. Years later, Bazil (Dany Boon) is leading a dull existence. He makes ends meet as a video store clerk, and when business is slow, he watches movies and mouths every line of dialogue from memory. One evening, Bazil steps outside to find himself a witness to a shootout. A dropped pistol misfires, sending its projectile into Bazil's head. By chance of a coin toss, doctors choose to leave the bullet in his brain rather than risk an operation that could ultimately do the innocent bystander more harm than good. Bazil miraculously survives and seems no worse off for the experience, but his time away from home and work has cost him both his apartment and his job. A homeless Bazil sleeps on the docks under the cover of a flattened cardboard box that's too small, and he works for pennies a day miming in the streets of France. He's spotted by a man named Slammer (Jean-Pierre Marielle) who offers him a home within the confines of à tire-larigot, a makeshift dwelling/workspace hybrid structure nestled within the cozy confines of a junkyard. There, Bazil meets several other peculiar individuals, tinkerers all with their own unique skill sets who have become something of a makeshift family.

Bazil fits right in with his new family, but he's still haunted by his past, a past that he literally can't forget. One day while in town, he stumbles across an arms company, bearing the same logo that he first saw in the photograph that was amongst his father's belongings. Bazil then spins around to see a competing arms manufacturer, the same one that produced the bullet that's to be forever lodged inside his head. Bazil manages to infiltrate one of the buildings and overhears two executives boasting about their company's presence in worldwide conflicts and the ever-increasing destructive powers of their wares. A shocked Bazil finds himself haunted not only by the dueling tragedies that have shaped his life but also by the many more that will certainly alter the lives of millions around the world if the companies' goods continue to circulate and place people in harms way. As Bazil continues to foster his relationship with his new family, he schemes agains the two arms manufacturers, soliciting the help of his new friends and using both their smarts and the inventions they create to his advantage and to the detriment of his opponents.

Odd but oddly appealing, playful but purposeful, Micmacs is a movie that's difficult to classify but easy to enjoy. Stylistically, Micmacs plays with an unconventional color scheme that paints the screen with a noticeable, but not particularly overbearing, gold and green tint, perhaps as a way of further emphasizing the off-kilter elements and reminding the audience with every passing second that things are never quite as they should be. It's one of many ways -- including a score that plays with a refrain that's equal parts playful, circus-like, and mechanical that more so than any other element seems to perfectly define the movie -- that Micmacs stands out from the crowd. The movie isn't quite experimental -- there's a straightforward plot, the movie is easy to follow, and it's structurally sound -- but its characters and unique artistic flavor nevertheless allow the film to slip well outside of the mainstream, creating a movie that's enthusiastically unique in its approach to the relatively tired plot line that holds the movie together. Still, despite its basic premise of revenge, Micmacs can't really be classified by its plot alone. There's far too much going on here to simply gloss over the novelties in which the movie revels, and ignoring its peculiarities would be a disservice to entire experience, its general plot line included. Micmacs, then, seems more like a movie designed to emphasize the unusual, and that's fine. It's different, it stands out, it's praiseworthy for its boldness and refusal to play it safe in a cinematic world dominated by cookie-cutter films.

Of all of the film's quirky assets, its characters are the most important and unique. They're almost cartoonish in look and mannerisms, and their unique attributes almost make them into poor-man's superheroes who both stand up for one another and dare to take on entities they perceive as enemies by using their special skill sets to their advantage. Call them misfits, call them outcasts, call them whatever derogatory word that comes to mind, but the crew of Micmacs are a loyal and highly resourceful bunch, each of them capably intelligent but not quite all there. They're in several ways reminiscent of the quartet of genetically enhanced outcasts introduced in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Statistical Probabilities." Those characters had no social skills and relied on one another and their powers of intellect and observation to shed light on a dangerous enemy scheme, and the characters of Micmacs are in many ways similar. They seem to have no one to trust but themselves, but they're nevertheless driven and dedicated to one another and whatever cause or problem they face, be it wreaking havoc on unscrupulous arms manufacturers or creating the latest and greatest (though occasionally worthless) gizmo from parts culled from the scrap heap. Micmacs takes care to ensure a seamless integration of characters and tone, both complimenting one another on the way to one 2009's most original and unforgettable little gems.

Micmacs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's Blu-ray release of Micmacs, no surprise, delivers an excellent 1080p transfer. The heavy golden-green tint and overall warm tone of the color palette is handled perfectly by this AVC encode, the transfer seeing the whacky color scheme through to sheer perfection. Details are marvelous across the board; check out the scene where Bazil inspects the shell casing that once housed the bullet that's now forever stuck in his head. Both the fine lines and textures of his skin and the print on the brass casing are remarkably resolved, but the transfer handles just about every other object through the film with the same level of pinpoint accuracy. Textures seen on faces, clothing, wet pavement, building façades, and all the knickknacks scattered around à tire-larigot are teeming with superbly-refined details. This wonderfully filmic image features a light but critical layer of grain and black levels that are just about perfect. Digital tinkering is nowhere to be found on this exquisite and remarkably steady and handsome transfer, and only the lightest hints of banding mar an otherwise perfect transfer. Just another day at the office for a Sony Blu-ray release.

Micmacs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Micmacs features an exceptional DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is sonically reserved with only one very big and agressive moment near the end of the film that hurtles an incredible amount of sustained and room-shaking bass through the soundstage for a prolonged period of time. Outside of that critical and enjoyable moment, the track happily goes about its business with a light but crystal-clear and impeccably accurate tone. Music is well-balanced and crisp across the front, whether airy notes or the film's playfully mechanical theme. Where the track excels is in its delivery of mood-critical atmospherics. Many scenes are littered with seamless ambient content; whether a ticking clock, a ringing bell, the hushed voices of those in attendance at a funeral, or a cacophony of honking horns, Micmacs' lossless soundtrack delivers every environmental nuance with ease, many of which will positively fool the listener into believing they exist in the real world and not emanating from a speaker system. The back channels carry many such sounds, and in those few instances where directionality and imaging are crucial -- such as during the shootout early in the film -- the track also excels. Rounded out by perfect dialogue reproduction, Micmacs is yet another in a growing list of top-flight soundtracks from Sony.

Micmacs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Micmacs delivers a few general extras, including a commentary, a making-of piece, and an assortment of trailers.

• Audio Commentary: Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet delivers a good if not routine commentary; he discusses shooting locales, points out some of the background actors in the film while praising his primary cast, shares his thoughts on the film's unique color scheme, explores set design including the construction of the junkyard set piece, and much more. Jeunet seems happy to take advantage of the opportunity to speak about his film. Fans will enjoy spending some time with him during one of their repeat viewings of Micmacs.
• The Making of Micmacs (480p, 47:22): This comprehensive piece takes viewers onto the set to explore various elements that made Micmacs possible. The piece opens with a glimpse into the process of conducting an orchestra on-set and follows by taking a raw, unrehearsed look at the making of various scenes throughout the movie, including a fire that broke out during the shoot. The piece concludes by taking viewers to a test screening of the film and the cast preparing to appear at the premiere. No rehearsed interviews, no fluff; this is the way making-of pieces should be: raw and unscripted, just the cast and crew on-set going about their business. This is a fascinating extra and one of the best of its kind; it's only too bad it's not in high definition. French with English subtitles.
• Q&A With Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Actress Julie Ferrier (1080p, 10:40).
• Animations: Absurd Deaths (480p, 2:14): A brief step-by-step look at the making of a few of the film's animated scenes.
• 'Micmacs' Trailer (1080p, 2:11).
• Additional Trailers (1080p): Animal Kingdom, Lebanon, Please Give, Get Low, Mother and Child, A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop, Inside Job, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Tamara Drewe, and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.
• BD-Live.



Micmacs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 




Micmacs is a playfully energetic little picture that's full of surprises, not the least of which is the work of its remarkable cast. They're challenged with breathing life into several of cinema's most oddball heroes, and they succeed thanks in large part to a script that does remarkably well in defining each one and direction that ensures that they blend into the movie rather than stand out from it. Micmacs is a unique little gem that does "different" about as well as anything Terry Gilliam has ever made, and Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's latest delights in bucking convention and doing things its own way. Micmacs isn't for all tastes, but for audiences who appreciate something -- anything -- that exists well outside the mainstream, then Micmacs is a must-see. Sony's Blu-ray release of Micmacs sports borderline reference-grade video and audio while also featuring a fair amount of bonus content. Highly recommended.