Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

Old Joy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 4, 2020

Kelly Reichardt's "Old Joy" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include new interviews with the director, actors Daniel London and Will Oldham; cinematographer Peter Sillen; and writer Jonathan Raymond. The release also arrives with a 42-page illustrated booklet veaturing essay by film critic Ed Halter and the short story by Raymond on which the film is based. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Every single film that Kelly Reichardt has directed to date does two very particular things to impress. First, it spends a great deal of time crafting a strong sense of intimacy, which is then used to define its story. Second, it chooses a unique environment that helps the sense of intimacy flourish. If one of the two isn’t convincing, however, the film does not work.

Old Joy is about an impromptu reunion between two friends residing in Portland, Oregon. Both are in their early thirties and living lives that seem to be heading in different directions -- Mark (Daniel London) has started a family and is soon going to be a father, while Kurt (Will Oldham) is still single but enjoying a strong bond with his favorite pipe. Both are at the very bottom of the social ladder, barely making ends meets.

It is Kurt that reaches out to Mark and asks if he would like to go on a camping trip with him in the nearby mountains. Mark instantly agrees but still asks his bored wife for a permission to leave. Then they meet in front of Kurt’s house, load up Mark’s dingy car and hit the road. Their final destination is a special place that Kurt has visited before.

Soon after, Kurt lights up his pipe and they begin discussing their lives, at first casually pointing out the few good things that have happened in them and then somewhat reluctantly the many bad things that have frustrated them. After getting lost a few times and maybe even driving in circles, they choose to spend the night at a popular spot that other campers have used and abused.

On the following day they reach Kurt’s place which turns out exactly as he had described it to Mark -- beautiful and almost suspiciously serene. They take off their clothes, have long hot baths and continue discussing their lives. Heavy nostalgia for the good old days when the two were freer then temporarily overwhelms their minds and hearts.

The trouble with this film is that it is so introverted that it quickly creates the impression that it wishes to be left alone. Indeed, from the get-go the film treats the viewer as an intruder observing a very intimate event, and the more it begins to look like its characters wish to open up, the more protective it becomes of their feelings and emotions. This is the exact reason why the second half is so uncharacteristically fluid -- instead of bringing the viewer closer to the campers the film essentially gives them more space to figure out how they feel about their friendship and lives.

Reichardt is a gifted director that can produce films with truly special identities, but they have to be willing to connect with the people that want to see them. Old Joy isn’t. It reveals a very odd determination to act as a guardian of its characters, which makes everything that occurs in it utterly meaningless.

Old Joy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.86:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Old Joy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This new digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from a 35mm digital negative made during the movie's production. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI Film's DRS, while Digital Vision's Phoenix was used for jitter, flicker, and small dirt. The stereo soundtrack was remastered from the original 35mm magnetic track using Avid's Pro Tools and iZotope RX.

Transfer supervisor: Kelly Reichardt, Peter Sillen.
Film scanning: Metropolis Post, New York.
Colorist: Russell Smith/Criterion Post, New York."

On my system the film looked wonderful. Only during a few close-ups I felt that delineation should be slightly better, with enhanced and more convincing shadow definition. On the other hand, I also sense that Blu-ray is actually having a bit of trouble handling the few areas where finer details struggle, so perhaps this is the best that can be done on the format. (It could very well be that this is exactly how the 16mm material was finalized). The rest looks great -- depth, clarity, and fluidity are excellent. The color grading is convincing as well. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Old Joy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The original soundtrack blends atmospheric harmonies from Yo La Tengo and various organic sounds and noises. Because the film is meant to be one big intimate experience, there are no striking dynamic contrasts, but separation and balance are great.

Old Joy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Daniel London and Will Oldham - in this new program, actors Daniel London and Will Oldham remember what it was like to work together with Kelly Reichardt during the production of Old Joy. The program was done for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Kelly Reichardt - in this new video interview, Kelly Reichardt discusses her work as a director and the production of Old Joy. There are also some good observations about the style and atmosphere of the film, and the wonderful Lucy. The interview was conducted for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080p).

• Jonathan Raymond - writer Jonathan Raymond provided the short story that inspired Kelly Reichardt to shoot Old Joy. In this new interview, he recalls his collaboration with Kelly Reichardt and addresses some of the story's key themes. The interview was conducted for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Peter Sillen - in this new video interview, cinematographer Peter Sillen discusses the challenges of making Old Joy with a small crew, low budget, and tight shooting schedule. The interview was conducted for Criterion in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - a 42-page illustrated booklet featuring "Old Joy" by Jonathan Raymond, "Northwest Passages" by Ed Halter, and technical credits.

Old Joy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The other film that Kelly Reichardt made with Lucy, the lovely puppy that follows the two campers in the mountains, Wendy and Lucy, I like a lot and actually consider a minor masterpiece. Why? Because it effortlessly pulls you in its very intimate environment and then allows you to connect with Michelle Williams' character. Old Joy remains uncharacteristically protective of its characters, and at times even creates the impression that it prefers to be left alone. It does not work for me. If it does for you then you will be pleased to have Criterion's Blu-ray release in your collection, which is sourced from a solid new 2K master that was approved by Reichardt and cinematographer Peter Sillen.