Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Never Grow Old Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 8, 2019

The fact that this film bears the title Never Grow Old may strike some fans as at least a little ironic, in that it seems like putative co-star John Cusack may have had some kind of contract stipulation that he only be shot in dim lighting for this outing, perhaps to mask the fact that he has in fact aged a bit (not that there’s anything wrong with that). In a way, though, it’s perhaps indicative of how powerful Cusack is, despite becoming at least a bit long in the tooth, that he basically grabs this film by its veritable throat and holds it hostage in a manner of speaking, providing a really energetic assessment of a villainous type named Dutch Albert, in a performance that manages to command considerable attention even if it is shrouded in sepia toned dankness. What’s kind of ironic in a different way about Never Grow Old is how it almost revisits elements of Footloose, albeit transported back to the 19th century and what I assume is meant to be Oregon Territory, and with an admission that Dutch Albert’s provocative refusal to toe the line against all sorts of “sinning” is actually part of his villainy, even if some jaded types might secretly be rooting for his contrarian tendencies, if only to offer resistance to the conformity seeking Preacher Pike (Danny Webb). The Preacher's directives from the altar to a rural encampment masquerading as a town have kind of (again) ironically led to a downturn in employment for the local Irish undertaker, Patrick Tate (Emile Hirsch).

It is in fact Tate who is the ostensible hero of Never Grow Old, though there are moral shades of gray even with this seemingly upstanding family man, who supports his immigrant wife Audrey (Deborah Francois) and young children by digging graves and burying the less fortunate travelers of what the film describes as The California Trail (we Oregon residents may choose to semi-politely disagree). Unfortunately the strictures placed on the town by Preacher Pike have actually decreased mortality rates in a marked fashion, so that when Dutch Albert and his gang show up and send everything into disarray, Tate is kind of stuck between a moral rock and a hard place, recognizing “opportunity” while also recoiling from its stench.

There's a Screen Ireland masthead on display in both the opening and closing credits that may strike some as at least a little strange for a western set in the United States, but in a way Tate's Irish heritage plays at least a tangential role in this tale, as both he and his French wife struggle at times with what it means to be an American. (The film was evidently shot in Ireland and Luxembourg, at least according to the IMDb and some other online sources I've consulted in researching background for this review.) In yet another irony, the bad guy sporting the decidedly "un" (or at least non) American name Dutch kind of keeps nagging Tate about his lack of manliness, as if to suggest he's not a "real" American — yet, anyway. This is a film that virtually wallows in a fetid, muddy ambience where even moral shades of gray are sullied to the point of being unrecognizable. It’s evident almost from the get go when Dutch and his gang show up on the hunt for what seems to a former cohort who may have made off with some booty. Dutch more or less wrangles Tate into helping him, and much of the rest of the film plays out in surprisingly tamped down and yet still quite visceral “showdowns” between Tate and Dutch, with Preacher Pike’s ministrations (in both senses of that word) offering subtext on what it means to be a “sinner”.

Never Grow Old kind of plies a middle ground between traditional Westerns of yore and those “revisionist” entries that have been popular at least since the 1950s. There’s a dour aspect here that’s quite “modern” and yet probably historically accurate, and the detailing of the often harrowing lives of the townspeople is rather well handled throughout the story, especially once Dutch reintroduces things like drinking and carousing to the place.

I kept wondering however if writer and director Ivan Kavanagh was going for some kind of “meta” statements in some of his presentational aspects. Preacher Pike spouts fire and brimstone pronouncements about America being what Reagan once called “the shining city on the hill”, and yet he keeps showing the America of this film to be a rather degraded environment. The fact that Dutch and his gang regularly traipse around carrying what amount to the old west version of tiki torches just couldn’t help but raise the specter of Charlottesville to me personally, though I’m not sure if Kavanagh meant that connection to be drawn. What may be a final irony in this film, at least for some “true believers”, is the implication that Christianity can be as tyrannical as any other religion has ever been accused of being, but that in the contentious world of the Wild West, turning one’s other cheek can only get you so far.

Never Grow Old Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Never Grow Old is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I haven't been able to track down much of any information on the technical side of things for this shoot, but this is by and large a rather impressive looking transfer, if one can get past the fact that huge swaths (I'd say even the majority) of the film is very dimly lit, to the point that several sequences play out in near darkness where only flickering flames provide even the hint of light. That can mean that the bulk of the frame is literally cloaked in black, with very little detail noticeable even in the partially lit sections. Aside from this recurrent stylistic choice, detail levels are commendable, even though even the relatively "brightly" lit moments are often graded toward slate grays and cool blues, and the entire film has a kind of rainy, muddy look to it. Several long sequences are almost bathed in sepia tones, and while general detail levels tend to be decent, fine detail on things like fabrics can occasionally falter in these moments. I noticed no issues with compression anomalies.

Never Grow Old Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Never Grow Old features a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that really derives a lot of surround activity from well placed ambient environmental effects. There are several rather forceful bursts of LFE courtesy of things like gunshots, and the occasional outbreak of arson. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, and even Cusack's raspy voiced whisper in the film comes through without any issues whatsoever.

Never Grow Old Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Dire Consequences: The Making of Never Grow Old (1080p; 20:22) is a decent EPK with some good interviews.

Never Grow Old Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Never Grow Old is a viscerally bracing viewing experience, though I kind of wish Kavanagh had really gone for the gusto in terms of some of the religious allusions he repeatedly makes (Tate is a carpenter as well as an undertaker, and several key incidents, including a final showdown, take place in the town church). Hirsch and Cusack are both excellent, and the supporting cast is uniformly good. Piers McGrail's cinematography is often quite striking, though the prevalence of dimly lit scenes where very little can be made out may wear on some viewers. Recommended.